Just A Night
by Jellybob 15
Summary: Senior Prom is shortly approaching. With students scrambling around for dates, Tea Gardner is left in the midst of it. Can she find the courage to ask Yami out before the big night comes around the corner? Pairings: Yami&Tea, Mai&Joey, and Serenity
1. Sinking Pride

Disclaimer: (yawn) Come on, guys. My stories can never amount to the greatness that is the YGO manga/show.

A/N(1): I'm back. And wow, it feels really good to be back. I've been having a Yami/Tea withdrawal ever since I left. I'm serious, like everywhere I went, I was like "wow, I should write a story about that-wait! No!" LOL. Maybe it's not my time to leave the fanfiction world.

A/N(2): Since it's prom season, I figured "why not do a prom-oriented fic?" Yah! Well, anyway, here's the story: Tea, persuaded by her friends, decides to attend the prom. The only problem is...she doesn't have a date! OMG! J/K! My blonde persona kicked in for a second. Hahaha. Anywayz, her friends try to set her up with a date, but Tea has only eyes for Yami.

A/N(3): Quick Edit SUCKS 

Title: _Just A Night_

Chapter One: _Sinking Pride_

**Tuesday, March 15, 2005 **

"Ladies, gentlemen, take your seats! Class meeting is about to start!"

Miho Nosaka scanned the crowd, waiting for everyone to find a seat. Most did. Others, like Seto Kaiba, refused, sending her an impassive, bored glare. She ignored it, after all, this was _her_ meeting to the class. She was the Senior class president.

"Hello Seniors. I'd like to thank you for joining us today," she said. Then, glanced at the Senior class officers-Tea Gardner (Vice President), Ryou Bakura (Recording Secretary), and Yugi Moto (Historian). Her eyes locked on Bakura for a second. _'His eyes are beautiful..' _

"Psh, of course we're here! We're missin' class!"

Everyone laughed. She shook from her gaze to see Joey Wheeler smirking at her. "Thanks Joey. Anyway, to get to the point, the topic for this meeting is...prom." Whispers and murmurs filled the room. "I know, it's far away, but we have to start planning where we'll have it, what our theme will be, and our Senior budget. Let's start with where we could have it. Suggestions?"

"Strip club!"

Miho cleared her throat. "Let me rephrase that. Any _good_ suggestions?" She threw Joey a smug look.

"How about Domino Plaza? That place is dreamy!"

Miho sighed, '_I'm the president of idiots.' _The Domino Plaza was a classy restaurant that only Seto Kaiba and a select few could afford. "I'm sorry, our Senior budget is very limited. Please think of something reasonable. Remember, if the place is expensive, the prom tickets will be expensive."

All but one hand remained raised. And she couldn't believe her eyes to whom that arm was attached to. "Seto Kaiba? Do you have something to add?" Heads turned toward Kaiba. He ignored them, responding:

"I got a yacht that's only used for special ocassions. Though this prom is not even close to a special ocassion, I'll let you losers use it," he said, pushing himself off the wall. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important business to attend to."

"What's the catch, Kaiba?"

Kaiba locked eyes with Joey. "That's simple. You don't come."

"Why you...!" Joey, knocking over his chair, lunged himself at Kaiba, but missed by several inches due to the weight on his arms. Tristan and Duke were holding him back. "Come on! He thinks he can make a fool out of Joey Wheeler?" The blond protested.

"Joey! He has, he just did, and he will in the near future. Sit down." Tristan whispered, alleviating some of the tension in the air. Joey backed off, watching Kaiba leave the room with a smirk of satisfaction.

"Gentlemen? If we could continue, please?"

Joey folded his arms. "Sure. Knock yourself out, princess."

Miho's eyebrow raised, but before she could unleash the rage boiling within her, Tea Gardner stepped forward. "Let's all continue this meeting, shall we?" Everyone nodded. Smiling, she continued, "does anyone have ideas for the theme?"

"Titanic! We're on a boat, right?"

"It's a yacht, stupid! And what would be our theme? Drowning?"

Tea cleared her throat. "Please be kind to one another. We all have different views about the perfect prom, but we must work together!" Though Tea was giving another one of her famous "peace-keeping" speeches, everyone loved the brunette and thought that she should have been president. She was beautiful, articulate, and listened to everyone's ideas. Most people thought she was perfect.

"How about a garden theme? And the water around us could be a lake!"

Tea nodded. "Anyone else?" She picked on another person who had raised their hand.

"How about the Japan skyline?" The student suggested.

Many nodded. "Any others?" No one else raised their hand. "Alright then. Let's take a count. First is...Titanic. Anyone?" Two, one being the suggestee, raised their hand. Tea scratched that one off. "Alright. Garden?" A dozen students raised their hands. "Finally, the Japan skyline." As soon as she looked up from her paper, the rest of the class had their hands raised. "Well, it looks like majority wins. Japan skyline it is."

Miho clasped her hands together. "Great, now we can discuss ticket"

Before she could finish, the bell rung. She knew she couldn't keep them for two classes. The faculty would be very upset with her. "Okay, we'll pick this up next class meeting. Dismissed." The Seniors bunched around the exit, talking amongst their groups.

Tea, relieved, looked toward her friends standing near the doorway. "Hey guys, what do you all think?"

"Prom?" Tristan asked, causing Tea to nod. "I'm not much into dances, but if there's food there, Joey and I are there!" He pulled Joey under his arm and rammed his fist into his head.

Joey pushed away, fixing his hair. "Come on, man! It's owned by _Kaiba_." He added.

"But it's our prom!"

Joey was about to protest when Tristan added, "and you can ask Mai!"

The blond immediately flushed. Mai Valentine had been his crush since he had met her in Duelist Kingdom. Though she was much older than him, and had her own life, Joey found her amazing. He would never meet another girl like her_that he was sure of. _

"Having second thoughts, buddy?" Patting his friend on the back, he added: "I knew Kaiba wouldn't stand in your way of getting Mai Valentine as a date." They all had a good laugh, except for Joey, who was growling at Tristan for bringing up his one weakness.

Tea brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Whatever the case may be, we'll talk about it during lunch. Yugi and I have to get to class." She said, looking down at her childhood friend. "You ready?" Yugi nodded, grabbing his bookbag. "See you all later!"

As Tea walked out the door with Yugi, she sensed an unknown silence between them. "Yugi, is there something wrong? You were quiet during class meeting." She asked, concerned. She was used to Yugi spilling out ideas and/or voicing his opinion. Today, he looked...distracted.

Yugi looked at her, flashing a smile that told her not to be concerned. "It's just the Game Shop. No big problem."

Before Tea could ask him to clarify his response, Yugi was in their Economics Honors class. It wasn't until later that Tea would finally realize what had made Yugi so uneasy...

* * *

"FOOD! Where have you been all my life!" exclaimed a very excited Joey, as he drooled over the cafeteria food. "Ah! It's like I haven't eaten in months!" 

"Isn't this your second tray?" Tea asked, slidding her tray from the main course to dessert.

Tristan slid next to her. "Actually, it's his third..." Tea's eyebrow raised, although this was something she was used to. Joey was the human garbage can. She wondered where all the food went. He was as skinny as a twig. She wished she could go on the Joey Wheeler dietthe see-food diet.

Walking back to their table, Tea took a seat next to Yugi, while Joey and Tristan sat across from them. "So, what's new?" Tea asked, trying to start a conversation. She hated the silence. Talking is what made her comfortable.

Joey held up a chicken leg. "You know, this thing cost me three bucks! I swear, this school is running me broke! They even wanted 10 cents for a stupid fork! It's a conspiracy!"

"Against you? Probably. They have to buy food everyday instead of every week for you..."

Joey laughed off Tristan's remark. "Yup, the kitchen staff will have a party when I graduate." They all laughed, except for Yugi. He seemed lost in his thoughts. "Yug, come on! You've been silent all day! What's going on?"

"Nothing. Just been working a lot at the Game Shop." He said. Tea didn't buy it. She knew Yugi since their childhood, and she could tell when he was lying. He would brush it off and play it off with a smile.

"Sure it's not prom?" Tristan responded with a wink. "You know the girls will be after you 24/7! Lucky dog."

Yugi blushed. "Eh...heh..I doubt that..."

"At least you have Rebecca if worse comes to worse," Joey added. This made Yugi turn crimson. Rebecca Hawkins had been after Yugi for years. Although a now ten-year-old Sophomore college student, Rebecca knew that Yugi was the man of her dreams.

"Oh yeah Yugi, she'll probably ask you before you ask her." Tristan said, looking over at Tea. "Say Tea, who do you want to take to the prom? Haven't heard anything from you.."

Tea played with her food. "I don't know. I was thinking about just taking one of my friends. It's not like I'm interested in anyone..." She sighed to herself, knowing she was lying to her friends. She perfectly knew who she wanted to take to the prom. It just wasn't happening.

"Oh really? I seen you checking out Bakura's ass lately..."

Tea turned red, wide-eyed. "WHAT?"

"Hahahahaha! Kiddin'!" Joey said, laughing in between words. Tea kicked him from under the table. "Wha? It was funny! You should have seen your face!" He said, making her stand up. She looked upset. He stopped automatically. "Just Wheelering with you! Come on, Tea!"

"See you later, Yugi and Tristan." She didn't look at Joey. The blond frowned.

"Alright, it was me checking out Bakura's ass, are you happy?" It was then the cafeteria went silent. Some eyes on Joey. Some on Bakura, who was sitting next to Miho Nosaka.

"Yes. I'm very happy now." Tea said, walking back to her seat. "Just don't be barking up Bakura's tree anytime soon.."

* * *

A Spanish, Math, and Art class later, Tea was at her locker, collecting her books. She was doing it hastily because she wanted to run down to the Game Shop and see what was happening. She hated seeing Yugi like this, and she had to get to the bottom of it. 

Hauling her bookbag over her shoulder, she ran out the doors, and into Domino City. The Game Shop was only three blocks away from the school. And lucky for her, Yugi and the others had to stay after for soccer. It was only her and a nice conversation with Mr. Moto.

Cornering the next block, she saw the Game Shop's sign come into view. "Almost there," Tea said, increasing her walking speed. "Come on, work off that cafeteria food!" She whispered, now a foot away from the door. "Alright, made it." Grasping the firm handle, she pulled it open, and let herself in.

The Game Shop was a small shop, but many customers loved the selection of Duel Monster cards they had in stock. Some rare, some common, some banned. The Game Shop had them all. Though Duel Monster cards were growing unpopular, the Game Shop still had business. At least from what Tea understood.

"Mr. Moto! Can I talk to you for a second?" She waited for a reply. None came.

As she walked down the aisle, she saw brown storage boxes scattered around the shop. _'New shipments?' _Tea thought, softly walking toward the register. "Mr. Moto?" she called out again. No answer.

She neared another storage box. This time, she bent over the box to see what was inside. Cards and magazines. She picked one magazine up and examined it. "They had this on the shelves two months ago," she whispered, growing more and more confused by the minute.

"Tea?" a deep voice called from behind her.

Nervously, she dropped the magazine and looked up to a pair of violet eyes. "Y-Yami...hi..." For some strange reason, she had the impression he was standing there watching her look through the box. "I was just-"

"Don't worry about it." He walked past her and picked up the box. Tea noticed that he was wearing black pants, white shirt, and a black tie. Definitely not his style.

With the box in hand, he asked: "You mind opening the door for me?" She nodded, walking toward the door. She then opened it, allowing him to put it in a black 2005 porsche. She admired the design, then looked back at Yami.

_'Yami...' _A year ago, Isis found a way, using the stone tablets, to separate two beings in the same body. Bakura and Yami were candidates for this process. It worked successfully. Two months after, Yami moved out of the Game Shop to work for Kaiba. He felt that he owed Yugi and his grandfather some privacy after the ordeal. Now Yami was as successful as Kaiba, except for the fact that they were still very competitive. Kaiba still hasn't beaten Yami in a duel 'til this day.

"So, what brings you here? Bidding the Game Shop goodbye?" Yami asked, closing the trunk.

"Well I waswhat? What are you talking about?"

He walked back into the Game Shop, holding the door opened for her. "You don't know?" He questioned, looking over his shoulder at her. She shook her head. "The Game Shop is going out of business. Profits have been going down ever since Xeviou cards hit the shelves. Duel Monsters is officially out."

Xeviou was a new strategy-based card game that combined monsters/attacks based on Duel Monsters and dice moves from Dungeon Dice Monsters. In other words, it was copying Dungeon Dice Monsters, but incorporating more moves from Duel Monsters.

Tea was so shocked about the Game Shop, that she didn't even realize that Yami was still talking. "...and I tried to give him the money to keep the Game Shop afloat, but Yugi and Sugoroku refused. I don't know what else to do."

"Where will they stay?"

Yami sighed. "Yugi told me they're staying with the Hawkins for now."

"REBECCA?" Tea blurted aloud. She then put a hand over her mouth. "Sorry, I'm just surprised. Why wouldn't Yugi take your money? I understand his pride, but he helped you through so much...you owe him."

"Yes, I owe him more than my life. I think it's more Sugoroku than Yugi that's causing a problem. He doesn't want to accept any money from Kaiba Corps." Yami answered sadly. "I hate seeing them in this position, but I can't help them if they don't want my help."

"Fine," Tea said, "it's my turn then."

Yami looked at her, bewildered. "What are you going to do?"

"Whatever it takes. Yugi and his grandpa have worked eight years to keep this shop open! I won't stand by while their work falls in one day!" She turned sharply and headed for the door. Yami was close on her heels.

"Wait! Again, what are you going to do?"

Her eyes met the floor. What was she going to do? Her parents were barely meeting bill payments. Her friends were in the same situation. Maybe if she started a fundraiser of some sort. The last fundraiser they did was for poor families during Christmas. Maybe she could hold one for the Game Shop. But how? There were no events coming up. The only one she could think of was the Senior prom in May.

"That's it!" Her eyes lifted to his again. "The prom!"

Yami gave her a confused look. "The Game Shop is going to sell dresses?"

She rolled her eyes. "No! Kaiba! He's holding the prom on his yacht. If I can talk him into donating the money to the Game Shop, Yugi and his grandpa can stay here!" Her hands trembled with excitement as she explained her plan to Yami.

"But...one way or another, Kaiba's still giving Yugi money."

Tea thought about what he said. Then, confidently, she answered: "Yes, but...the money is coming from the Seniors. Not his pocket. I think this will work. I'm going to head down there now and lay down the facts."

"You're going to go talk to Kaiba?" He said, admiring her courage.

Tea nodded. "That's what friends are for." Then, giving a small wave, she walked out the Game Shop. Yami followed her again. This time catching her wrist. "Don't try to stop me, Yami. I have to do this."

"I'm not. I was going to offer you a ride. I'm on my way there anyway."

"Okay."

* * *

She hadn't talked to Yami in months. She didn't know what to say to him. What made it worse was that she was nervous. Though he couldn't see it, her stomach was churning with butterflies. She couldn't help it. He had been her crush since she was fifteen. She was now eighteen, and still infatuated. 

"How's Kaiba Corps anyway?" Tea asked, looking out the window of his car.

Yami shrugged, eyes on the road. "Nothing to brag about. I just test Kaiba's new inventions. Then the paperwork for the specific prototype keeps me up all night. It's...an interesting experience."

Tea nodded, now noticing the dark circles under his eyes. _'He has changed..' _The look of determination in his eyes was gone. The thrill of not having to duel someone worthy must have killed his spirit for dueling. Now, he only dueled machines and other devices.

"You don't feel like the King of Games anymore, do you?" She blurted, without thinking.

He turned to her quickly, then pulled his eyes back to the road. "Where did that come from?"

"I'm sorry, I was just...nevermind..." She looked back toward the window, embarassed.

He shook his head, pulling the car over to the side. She was shocked. He then turned to her and said: "You're right, Tea. I don't feel like the King of Games anymore. There's no more mystery or adventure in my life anymore. I know now I was Pharaoh, saved the world, and then was reincarnated. That's it. And now, I'm living in this century now, without...a cause. Yugi and I saved the world from Dartz. Now...I'm just an ordinary person living an ordinary life."

"You don't want that?" Tea replied, deeply interested.

"I...don't know what I want anymore." He leaned his head on the steering wheel. Then, he added: "I've just been really confused with my life lately. And now with Yugi shutting me down, I feel so alone in this world."

Tea frowned. "You're never alone in this world," putting a hand on his shoulder shakily, she added: "Yugi is just going through a hard time like you. He doesn't know what he's doing in his life either." She then drew her hand away quickly before she started blushing.

Yami nodded, lifting his head from the steering wheel. "I'm just stressing over this. I'm sorry...we should be going." Putting the car in drive, he moved back into the road. Tea didn't say another word, for she didn't know what else to say.

The car ride was silent from then on...

* * *

Slowly moving into a parking spot, Yami turned off the car and sat there. Tea looked at him, a feeling of sadness washing over her. "Thanks for the ride, Yami. I really appreciate it." She opened the door and got out. He was still sitting there. She bent down and looked at him. "Yami?" 

He shook out of his daze. "I'm sorry. Don't worry about the ride," he said, opening his door, too. "It's the least I can do." Getting out of the car, he locked it with his keys and strode toward the building with her in silence.

Once inside, Tea was about to walk toward the desk, when Yami directed her toward the elevator. "I'll take you to Kaiba myself. You'll be waiting there for a long time without an appointment." She nodded, walking into the elevator with him. He pressed button number "15" and the doors closed automatically.

A few seconds later, the doors opened again to Floor 15. Tea was slightly uneasy as she walked out of the elevator. Even her thoughts became uneasy. Most of the voices in her head were telling her that this was a bad idea, but she knew that she had to do this. For Yugi. He had done so much for her...

_'He didn't rat me out at my position at Burger World. He found me a warehouse where I could practice my dance. He taught me how to play Duel Monsters. He even...got Yamithe love of my lifeto go on a date with me. Wow, I owe him so much...' _

"Here it is, Tea. Kaiba's office. Do you want me to go on with you?"

She shook from her daze. "No, I'm...going to do this myself." She gave him a confident smile that told him everything was going to be alrightno matter what Kaiba said to her. Breathing in, she knocked on the door. No answer. She knocked again.

The door opened, but nobody appeared on the other side. _'Creepy,' _she thought, that is, until she heard a familiar voice call her name. She looked down to see Mokuba at the door. He childish face beamed up at her. "Watcha doing here, Tea?"

"Hello Mokuba. I actually came to see your brother."

Mokuba looked over his shoulder, then looked back at her. "Alright then, but he's in a bad mood today. Don't say I didn't warn you." He opened the door for her to come in.

The room was filled with papers and meshes of computer wires. Tea wondered how such a neat and sophisticated guy worked in an environment such as this. It was then she looked up from the mess to see Kaiba at his desk, looking straight at her.

_'Uhh...this is weird..' _She put on her best smile and said: "Hello Kaiba, I just wanted to thank you, on behalf of student council, for the yacht. It really put down the cost for prom." He continued to stare at her, intimidating his enemy.

"Gardner, don't lie to me. What do you really want?"

_'Damn, he's good.' _She cleared her throat. "Well, K-Kaiba...I just came here to ask you for a favor"

"I don't do favors, Gardner." He replied, venemously.

She rubbed her arm. "It's not for me, it's for Yugi."

"Why didn't Yugi come down here then?" He spat back, his stare turning into a glare.

"Yugi doesn't ask anyone for help. He's independent...just like you." She said these words with nervousness. Kaiba was a tough person to converse with. He would either bite your head off right then and there or watch you suffer with his cold words and glare. He had insisted that she indeed suffer. "The Game Shop is going out of business, Kaiba. And I...want..." She stopped, then swallowed the nervousness that shook her words. "To get to the point, Kaiba, I wanted to use the prom tickets toward your yacht as a donation toward the Game Shop."

She then feared asking Kaiba for help. She now feared hearing his response.

"Gardner, you got guts asking me for help." He laced his fingers together and rested his chin upon them. "Fine. We'll use the prom tickets as donations toward the Game Shop. Now, are you finshed?"

She smiled. "Thank you, Kaiba! This will mean so much to"

"Great. Save it for someone who cares." He said, now looking at the computer screen. "Now, show yourself out."

Even though Kaiba's words were as cold as they come, she smiled. She was happy to have found something to help the Game Shop. And she owed a lot of it to Kaiba. She knew he had a heart under his dark exterior, some people just had to look deep enough. Like Mokuba did.

"Why aren't you out of my office yet?" He asked, eyes still on the computer screen.

"I'm sorry. I was just thinking of how lucky Mokuba is to have you," she said, now looking at Mokuba. "See you later, Mokuba!" She patted him on the shoulder and showed herself out, without looking back. If she did, she would have seen the small smile that was planted on Kaiba's face as she left...

* * *

Breathing a sigh of relief, she walked out of his office with a smile of satisfaction on her face. She couldn't believe how easy it was. Almost too easy, but she wasn't about to look at the negatives just yet. She only wanted to concentrate on the positives. 

"Wow, it went pretty well...huh?"

Tea looked up to see Yami leaning against the wall. She was surprised to see him, but nevertheless, nodded in agreement. "He said I had guts coming into his office," she chuckled at the thought. Then, continued, "he said it was okay. I'm just so happy right now."

"That's great, Tea." He said, smiling. He was impressed by Tea's bravery and love for her friends. It made him see the 5'5'' girl a different way. Though slender, she was built strong from dancing and after-school sports. She had silky, brown hair that came down to her shoulders. It framed her face nicely. Tea Gardner was beautiful in his eyes, but he always thought of her as a friend. He was one of the few guys that liked her only as a friend. Yugi, Tristan, Joey and Kaiba were the other exceptions.

"Thanks Yami. Well, I'm going to get going to tell Yugi the news. I hope he's okay with it." Crossing her fingers, she walked toward the elevator. "Bye Yami." She said, though hoping she would see him again real soon. She missed having him by her side on their many adventures. She missed looking at his face when he wasn't looking. She missed hearing his confident speeches as he faced an opponent. She missed...him.

"Bye Tea. Come by anytime. This is my floor, too." Waving, he watched the elevator doors separate them. For some reason, he wanted to say something else to her. He couldn't figure it out, though. Shrugging his shoulders, he walked back to his office with his hands in his pockets.

* * *

Stepping into the Game Shop, Tea was nervous. She was trying to figure out the best way to tell Yugi about what she found out, and what he didn't know. Walking up the aisle, she found Yugi stacking boxes, one on top of the other. 

"Hey Yugi!" Tea said, sitting on one of the stools near the register.

He spinned around. "Hey Tea, what brings you here?"

"I stopped by today and saw Yami"

"He told you, didn't he?" Yugi interrupted, dead serious.

Tea cleared her throat. "Yes, he told me about the Game Shop. How did you...?"

"Grandpa was upstairs while you guys were talking downstairs. He heard everything." Yugi replied. Tea, awestruck, remained silent for a few moments. She was taking in everything Yugi was telling her.

_'Well, that explains why the door was open when I came in..' _Sighing, she looked at her tri-colored hair friend. "Yugi, we've been friends for years, why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

Yugi looked toward the ceiling. "Grandpa didn't want me telling anyone. He figured that if we lived someplace else for awhile, we could figure out a way to get the shop back."

"But...what if you couldn't? Yugi, I know you both don't want help from Kaiba, but this store is your life. You grew up in this store and...you even told me your dreams of running it one day. What happened to that?"

"I'm not giving up on the store, Tea. Neither is grandpa. We just built this store on our own, and we will find a way to rebuild it on our own." He said, now turned away from her. He didn't want her to see the tear streaming down his face.

"Yugi, listen. Sometimes we need others to get back on our feet. I asked Kaiba if he could use the prom tickets as donations toward the Game Shop. I know I did it without your permission, but I want you to understand that there will always be people behind you to pick you up." As she spoke, he remained with his back turned to her. More tears were now escaping his eyelids. She then continued, "I'll see you tomorrow in school."

Standing up, she was about to leave when Yugi said: "Thank you, Tea," turning around, he showed her the tears, "you are a wonderful friend, you really are. I'm glad to have you." He walked around the counter and hugged her. She smiled.

"Oh Yugi, you know I'm always glad to help." She said, kneeling down to be at eye-level with him. But, before she could continue her friendship speech, a thought occured to her. "The prom is in May, though. What will you do until then?"

"I can stay with the Hawkins until then. Don't worry, at least I know I have something to come back to after two months." He explained, causing her to force back tears. "We'll be fine, Tea. Thanks to you, we'll be fine."

Tea nodded. "You should definitely go to Yami if you have any more problems, though. All he wants to do is help. He feels bad that he can't do anything more to repay you for your kindness over the years."

Yugi pulled away from her. "I will. I promise."

Unbeknowest to Tea, he was crossing his fingers...

* * *

To be continued... 

Kinda long, eh? Well, I figured I'd give you guys a good heads-up to what's in store. As you can tell at the moment, the couples are: Yami/Tea, Mai/Joey, Rebecca/Yugi(one-sided, don't worry. Yugi would be a child molester if he liked Rebecca), and Miho/Bakura. Anywayz, what's going on with Yugi and Yami? Will Yami start liking Tea in a boyfriend fashion? What will be the future of the Game Shop?


	2. Moving Day

Disclaimer: (yawn) Come on, guys. My stories can never amount to the greatness that is the YGO manga/show.

A/N(1):** Holly911, keeper-of-the-triforce, Little Atemu, Anime-Alee, Racegirl, Amazoness Archer, The Broken Bow, RoseGoddess874, Shining Friendship, Attic Flower, hi, Hysterik-Angel, SeaBreeze-YamiAnzu, ANZUXATEM4EVER, svakee2000, and Ksaturn**

A/N (2): Hey everyone! Thanks for the warm "welcome backs" and reviews on the story. I'm glad you all enjoyed it, but this chapter chapter should be a lot better than it's introduction. Plus, things will start heating up. Oh, and if you don't like some of the minor pairings, you can tell me. They're not set in stone. I just didn't feel like putting Duke or Tristan with Serenity. 

Title: _Just A Night_

Chapter Two: _Moving Day _

**Friday, March 18, 2005**

It's been three days since the events of Tuesday unraveled. Joey and the rest of the gang knew about Yugi's problem and were all willing to help in whatever way they could. They finally talked Yugi into letting them help him and his grandfather with moving into the Hawkins. Friday, today, was moving day.

"Come on, Joey! Are you a man or a woman?" Tristan yelled, as they hauled a white loveseat couch into the moving van. This was the first piece of furniture they were moving, but to Joey it was the last. They had only gotten out of class a couple of minutes ago to two weeks of Easter Break. Joey was looking forward to sleeping, but instead, he was hauling furniture.

"I'm a woman! I'm a woman! I even look at Bakura's ass for a living!"

Tristan quirked an eyebrow, disgusted. "Dude! Warn me before you put images in my head!"

Carrying the piece of furniture up the ramp, Joey cried painfully like a puppy seeking shelter. _'How do I get myself into these messes?' _He asked himself, painfully sitting the piece of furniture down. He then looked over to Yugi. _'For Yug, it's worth it.' _Climbing down the ramp into the van, Joey gave a thumbs-up to Yugi."One down!"

"And four more pieces like that to go," Tea added, carrying one of the two antique lamps Yugi's grandpa kept in the Game Shop upstairs.

"Hey, why does she get the easy stuff?" asked Joey, while wiping sweat off his forehead.

Tea stuck her tongue out, but before she could answer, a figure stepped up from behind her and said: "Hun, you don't want her breaking a nail, do you?" The 5'8'' figure had blond hair that went curly all the way to the middle of her back. She had vibrant violet eyes that were surrounded by perfectly curled eyelashes. Her skin was of a light tan color and her body held all the right curves. She was Mai Valentine.

"Mai, I'm glad you got my message!" Tea said, turning around to hug her friend. Ever since they defeated Dartz, Mai had been one of her closest friends. And as a friend, she called her every week and tried to visit her as much as possible.

"H-hey Mai!" Joey said, with a wave. "Nice to see ya!"

Tristan nudged him. "Aren't you gonna give her a hug and a kiss, too?"

"No," he yelled, shoving Tristan away from him. Lucky for Joey, Mai didn't hear anything Tristan said. "So, Mai, what have you been up to?"

Mai shrugged her shoulders. "The usual_working_." She resumed her job of entering virtual reality games and checking out if there were glitches or if the opponents in the game were strong enough. "Madam Butterfly still has a job to do."

"So, you ready to work?"

"Work?" She gave a half-hearted laugh. "I'm _supervising_!"

Joey fell over. "Supervising what? The couch? Believe me, it _aint_ going anywhere anytime soon!"

Before Mai could answer, Tea broke them up. "Come on, guys! Yugi only has the moving van for another three hours. We have to get moving," she said, walking back into the house. Mai smiled, now following Tea into the house.

Once inside, Mai tapped Tea on the shoulder and asked: "Hey hun, how have you been? I already see that Joey is still the same old Joey."

"I'm fine," Tea said, picking up the other lamp. "I've just been trying to help Yugi out with the move. It's been pretty rough for him, so I've been trying to be there for him."

"I see. Sure there's nothing more going on?"

Tea blushed. "Mai! You know I don't see Yugi as more than a friend!"

"Oh Tea! You're still going after Yami?" Mai asked, rolling her eyes.

"I-"

"Hey girls, you don't get paid for standing there looking beautiful!" declared Tristan, cocking an eyebrow up "seductively"

"We don't get paid at all!" Tea said, while Mai shoved Tristan on the way out to the moving van.

"Hey Mai! Wait up!"

Mai and Tea turned around to see Joey running toward Mai. Tea watched but kept walking as Joey started scratching his head nervously. _'Wow, he really has fallen hard for that Mai. I've never seen him look so nervous with a girl before.' _Staring back at them, she didn't notice the figure stop in front of her.

**BAM- **went Tea and the lamp as she crashed into...Yami. She stared, wide-eyed, hoping she didn't break the lamp. She didn't. "I'm sorry Yami, I should have been looking to where I was going." She said, laughing uneasily.

He smiled. "It's okay. Here, let me bring it to the van." Taking the lamp from her, he carried the lamp to the van. Tea followed, adjacent to him. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She looked incredible with her hair tyed back into a messy ponytail. Her pink tank top and blue jeans fit her perfectly, too.

Tea didn't seem to notice him looking at her. She was too nervous to even realize his stare. "So," she started. "H-how did you find out about Yugi's little moving day?"

"Actually, Mai told me. I was walking toward my car, and then I spotted her walking toward hers. She asked me if I was going to Yugi's shop, and I told her no, but asked her why. She then told me about what was going on, and I decided to stop by."

_'Why doesn't Yugi want to tell Yami anything? That's weird.' _Tea nodded her head. "I thought Yugi was going to call you. We all took turns calling people to help out." Tea said. Yami fell silent. Then, putting the lamp down, he said:

"Tea, honestly, I don't know what's going on with me and Yugi. And maybe it's best not to find out either." He then walked ahead of her and into the house, leaving her there bewildered.

* * *

"Last piece, Yugi!" shouted Joey, more reluctant than ever to finish the move.

"Alright, one...two...THREE!" Hauling a bedroom mattress above their heads, they headed toward the van. "Gah! I think I pulled a hernia on that pull!" Tristan said, as him, Joey, and Yugi carried the mattress.

"That...ow...wasn't a...hernia, Tristan. Hernias don't smell," Joey replied, squinting his eyes from the smell.

Tristan laughed. "Well, then, pardon me."

Pushing the mattress into the van, Yugi and his friends each exchanged hi-fives and secret friendship handshakes. "We're bad! We know it! We're bad! Oh yeah! Uh-huh!" Dancing around, Joey sang the words to his favorite original Wheeler song.

"Come on, Joey! There's girls looking this way! Save _me _the embarassment!"

Joey stopped his dance, on account that there were girls looking at him. Tea, Mai, and the newcomers Miho and Serenity. "Hey sis! Watcha doin' here?"

Serenity hugged her brother. Tristan opened her arms to hug her, but she only laughed it off. Joey then smacked him in the back of the head. "Well," she started. "I did come here to help, but I didn't know you would be finished already." She then turned to Miho. "Miho drove me over here." Miho waved sweetly. Miho and Serenity have been best friends ever since Serenity started her freshman year at Domino High School.

"Good to have you here, but-"

"Well then, I guess it's time for me and grandpa to hit the road." Yugi interrupted, a smile carved into his lips. He then looked back at the Game Shop, whispering "it's only temporary" to himself.

"That's right, man. You'll be back here in no time!" Joey encouraged, patting his friend on the back.

Yugi nodded his head. "Thanks for everything, guys. It really means a lot to me."

After getting his grandfather, who was talking to Yami, he climbed into his van and waved to his friends. "Bye! See you in school in two weeks!" They all waved back and laughed with him as the van sped away into town.

Once the van was out of sight, Joey was the first one to speak. "Wow, it's gonna be hard without the Game Shop open for two months."

"Yeah, well, it's only two months." Mai said as she made her way to her car. "I'll see you guys later. Tea, you want to come to my place?" She asked, now stepping into her car.

"Sure!" Looking at the guys, she waved to all of them. "It's been fun!" Then, stepping into Mai's car, she yelled: "Bye! Have a good Easter!"

"Bye Tea! Don't be going on any dates anytime soon! Unless it's to look at Bakura's ass!" screamed Tristan, causing him and Joey to laugh hysterically. Yami, Serenity and Miho stood there confused.

Mai even quirked an eyebrow at Tea from inside the car. "Inside joke, Mai. Just drive and I'll tell you everything." Nodding, she gave a little wink to the guys, mainly Joey, and drove off into the direction of her apartment near Kaiba Corps.

Meanwhile, Joey stood there, mesmerized. "Uhh...Joey...you gonna wake up anytime soon?" asked Miho. He only smiled, too dazed by the moment he was still in.

Tristan then pinched his nose and said: "Joey's not here right now. Please leave your name, your number, and the date and the time you called and I'll call you back only if your name is Mai Valentine."

Joey smacked Tristan. "You're so immature, Tristan!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Tuning the two boys out, Serenity turned to Miho. "Ready to go?" She nodded. Waving at Yami, Serenity and Miho stepped into Miho's car and drove off. Now it was only down to Yami, who was now staring at Tristan and Joey.

"ARE TOO!"

"AM NOT!"

Then, the first time in a couple of days, he laughed. He missed his friends. He missed the good times, the bad times, and even the times where there was no adventure. Just them and a good joke from Tristan or Joey. But now...

He worked at Kaiba Corps. And his friends were now said to be his enemies-or at least that's what Kaiba told him. He growled to himself. Kaiba was trying to control his life, and the worst part of it was...he was letting him.

Walking to his car, he stepped inside and turned the engine on. _'This has to stop...**today**." _Making a three-point turn, he left the two arguing in place for a new argument. A battle that he was going to win.

* * *

Tea admired the duplex apartment Mai had rented a few months ago. The living room walls were of a lilac, and the carpet was a beautiful deep purple. Mai also had a kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom that were of the same colors. _'Mai really likes her purple," _Tea thought, as she took a seat in one of her chairs.

"So Miss Tea, I see you were getting all comfy with Yami one minute...and then the next, you two were separated. What happened?" Mai asked, finding a sit on the chair opposite to her.

Tea sighed. "I don't know. One minute, we were just discussing about Yugi's move, and then the next minute, he's telling me that Yugi and him aren't as close as they used to be. I didn't talk to him since."

"It's been like this for awhile, I'm afraid," Mai whispered. "Sometimes Yami and I would catch up during our lunch hour and he would tell me about Yugi shutting him down every time he tries to talk to him. It's been going on for months. It might of even happened the day they separated."

Tea frowned. "I think so, too. That's why Yami started working for Kaiba."

"Yeah," Mai said, nodding. "But let's talk about things we know more about. How are you getting Yami as a prom date?"

"Mai! I can't take Yami to the prom! There's no way he'd go out with me."

Mai rolled her eyes. "So? Hun, you can still go as friends."

"I know," Tea said, "but I always had this crazy dream to go to prom with the man of my dreams. Stupid, huh?"

"No, no. I think every girl your age dreams of going with someone they love," Mai explained, talking motherly now. "But you better start taking flirting lessons from me if you want him to be crazy over you in two months."

"I don't know...flirting? I'm kind of flirting-challenged."

Mai flicked her wrist. "Psh, don't worry! We'll start...now!"

* * *

Yami didn't even bother knocking as he entered Kaiba's office. His anger and his determination had changed his perspective on having curtosy toward Kaiba. _'Kaiba's trying to ruin my life. I won't let him.' _

"Good to have you here, Yami. I have another prototype I want you to tes-"

"No, Kaiba. I'm through with prototypes. I'm through with Kaiba Corps. I'm through with you!" Yami bellowed, angrily. Kaiba's head turned to look at him. He wasn't one to be scared by an employee.

"Great speech, really. Next time, save it for my secretary."

Yami shook his head, placing both his palms on Kaiba's desk. "Kaiba, I'm not playing games with you anymore. I'm officially quitting Kaiba Corps-_today_." Then, slamming the desk with his fist, Yami started walking out when Kaiba said:

"You can't quit, we have a legal agreement."

"Not anymore. Sue me, take all my money! I don't care anymore, Kaiba. I just want to leave this place and forget it even existed." Yami stated, causing Kaiba to stand up. He hadn't moved since Yami walked in.

"Fine. Just fill out these papers," he threw Yami a folder of papers, "and you're officially resigned." He then sat back down and now concentrated his attention on his computer.

Yami just stood there, looking at the papers. _'Why has Kaiba been so nice lately?' _But a voice in the back of his head told him that Kaiba's been nice all along, he was just blinded by the past. Now he felt terrible for yelling at him like that. "Kaiba," he started, but couldn't find the words to apologize. Instead, he finished with "thanks" and left his office.

* * *

Now finished with the papers, he sat back in his chair and looked at the ceiling. "Now what am I going to do?" he whispered to himself. He had enough money to last him another two years, so he didn't have to bother looking for a job anytime soon. "Ra, now I'm just a normal eighteen-year-old. What do they normally do?"

It was then Domino High School flickered into his head. "Go back to school?"

After getting his own body, he was thinking of returning to school, but he knew it would be a waste of time. He was home-schooled for many years back in Egypt, 5,000 years ago. Not that he was saying he couldn't use school now, it was just...nothing really changed with the education system. They just added a couple of fancy numbers and words.

But then he talked to Kaiba after they defeated Dartz...

Though Kaiba only hired individuals with a Master's/Bachelor's degree to back their standing with the company, Kaiba knew of Yami's past and offered him a job at his company. Yami thought Kaiba was kidding, but he wasn't. Yami soon realized that Kaiba offered him a job beause he knew more about the game than half of his employees and he was trustworthy.

School then never was thought about again. But now...

"It's the only thing I got going for me." He finished. Plus, nowadays, one had to finish school to be considered for a job. "Yes, it's not like I can work here anymore. Maybe it's time I start over."

With that, he grabbed some of his belongings and walked out of his office for that last time...

* * *

"...and short skirts is always a plus."

Tea frowned. "I don't know, Mai. Yami doesn't seem like the type of guy to"

"Come on, Tea! I know Yami might have been the Pharaoh of Egypt, but now he's an ordinary guy! He'll love to see you in a short skirt," Mai explained.

Tea sighed. Mai's "flirting tips" were really only for people like...well...Mai. She couldn't even picture herself doing half the stuff Mai was telling her to do. Especially in front of Yami! She didn't want to turn down Mai's advice, though. She was only trying to help.

"...but you know it's always works, it's-Hey! You don't believe me,_ do you_?"

Tea coughed nervously. "Yeah, so anyway-"

"Tea! Oh fine, you know what? If you don't believe me, try to prove me wrong."

"What?" Tea asked, confused. "What are you suggesting?"

Mai smirked. "Go to Kaiba Corps in a short skirt. We'll see what Yami thinks." She then went into her bedroom, and came out with a beige, short skirt. _Too short_.

"Will that cover anything?" Tea asked, as Mai threw it at her. Then, moving toward the door, she waited patiently for Tea. "Mai! This is stupid! I'm not going!"

Mai folded her arms. "Scared?"

Tea nodded, but not enough for Mai to take it as an answer. She didn't want to go to Yami's office looking like a slut. _'But it would be interesting to see his reaction.' _She shook her head out of her daze. "Fine. Let me change into this and we can go." She then walked into the bathroom.

Mai smiled, then turned around to bump into...

"Yami?" she whispered. _'This should be good,' _she thought, looking toward the bathroom. _'And I get a front row seat to the action.' _She let him inside her apartment. "What's going on?"

"I wanted to talk to you about Kaiba Corps."

"KC? Why? Did something happen?"

Yami nodded. "Actually, yes. I-"

"Mai, does this make me look-_Yami!_' Tea squealed, trying to hide the skirt with her hands. _'Oh my God! Mai tricked me! And now Yami's here...' _She looked past him at Mai, glaring. Mai made hand signals for her to remove her hands. "I mean," she took her hands away, revealing the skirt, "hi. I wasn't expecting you here."

"I'll be back. I'm going to go get some drinks," Mai said, leaving the two alone.

_'Nooo! Mai!' _Tea pleaded with her eyes for Mai to stay, but she brushed past her, giggling. "What's going on? I haven't seen you since...well...this morning." She laughed nervously, but watched his eyes to see if they traveled to the skirt she was wearing. They never did.

He cleared his throat, waking her from her daze. "I just came back from Kaiba Corps and decided to pay Mai a visit." He then looked from her to the kitchen, where Mai was supposedly getting drinks. Tea noticed this.

Her nervousness for the Pharaoh was gone. She now felt jealousy boiling inside her. She knew Mai wasn't into Yami, but for him to come over here just to pay her a visit? She wasn't buying it. _'Tea, don't do this to yourself. He probably just came over just to see an old friend...' _She reasoned to herself, but the jealousy still sat. "Oh well, I should get going then. Wouldn't want to intrude." Smiling, she walked into the bathroom to change.

Yami opened his mouth to speak, but she had already closed the door behind her. It was then Mai opened the door with three drinks. "Where did Tea go?" she asked, looking around the room.

"She said she was leaving," Yami said, taking a drink from her.

_'Leaving? Why?' _It was then she heard the bathroom door creak open. "Tea?"

"Bye guys! See you around sometime!" She said sweetly, not looking at them. She then opened the door and closed it behind her.

Mai wouldn't have been worried about her friend leaving early_...if she didn't see the tears in her eyes._

* * *

To be continued...

I liked this chapter. Better than last chapter. This chapter was kind of short, though. Sorry about that. I couldn't get started on the next chappie if I didn't end this chapter somewhere. But anyway...Ooooooh, looks like Mai made a boo boo! Do you think Tea will forgive her? What about Yami? Does he really share no deep affection for Tea?


	3. Words Escape Me

Disclaimer: Don't own YGO, McDonalds, or anything really...

Thanks for the reviews: **Ksaturn, svakee2000, Little Atemu, Darkhope, Shining Friendship, SeaBreeze-YamiAnzu, ** **The Broken Bow**, **RoseGoddess874, Attic Flower, Racegirl, Amazoness Archer, hi, AerinM, Yami/Tea fan, Hysterik-Angel, and killer901! **Love ya! You've been very supportive! (sniff)

A/N: Well, this chapter is basically about Tea's thoughts on prom and Yami's first day. Hope you enjoy, and sorry for the OCness. I know, I know. It's bad. Please forgive the Jelly.

Title: _Just A Night_

Chapter Three: _Words Escape Me_

**Monday, April 4, 2005**

"...so then I told him, 'yes, I'd love to go with you' and he smiled and walked away. Isn't that so romantic?" squealed Kaname, looking at Tea. Kaname Hoshiko was a tall girl, about 6'1, with blue hair and chocolate brown eyes. She was admired for her trim body and musical talents on choir.

The brunette smiled and tried to be happy for her friend, who had just been ask out to the prom by Tristan. _'This is like the fourth story I heard today,' _she thought, dragging her feet to her homeroom.

Spring recess was over and school had commenced once again. Tea felt groggy from the late nights she had over the vacation, but that wasn't the only reason she felt displaced. School was already into homeroom, and she felt drowned out by her friends with prom talk and potential dates. She was beginning to hate prom because she couldn't be as lucky as them.

Over the recess, Tea had started to think Yami was out of her reach. She never saw him. Even spoke to him, besides when he miraculously appeared at the Game Shop and Mai's house. But Mai's house didn't count. She had been stupid to believe that Yami was swooning after Mai. Mai even laughed at her the next day on the phone for believing that Yami liked her.

_"I can't believe you thought Yami liked me!" Mai exclaimed. _

_"Well, for him to come over your house--" _

_"It was just business. I promise you that. But still! You're very protective of your man. Don't want anyone but you getting close to him, huh?" Mai said, poking fun. _

_Tea blushed from the other side of the line. "I dunno. I'm sorry I ran out on you like that, something just cracked inside me. I guess I don't want another girl blowing my chances with--" _

_Mai cleared her throat, interrupting. "The only person that can blow your chance with Yami is you, hun." Tea fell silent after that remark. She couldn't defend herself because she knew Mai was right. "You still there?" _

_"Yeah, sorry. I was just...thinking about what you said." _

_"Good," Mai said, "now find Yami and tell him. Don't call me until you do." She then hung up, leaving Tea there, confused. She couldn't tell Yami yet._

_"Mai! No!" It was too late. Her shouts were only heard by a dead clicking noise. _

"Tea? Did you hear me?" asked Kaname, putting her bookbag on her desk.

Tea sat in her chair. "Yes, sounds very romantic..."

Satisfied by Tea's response, the blue-haired girl turned to her bookbag and started to unpack. Meanwhile, Tea stared at the chalkboard, thinking about how she would ask Yami to be her date. _'There's no easy way. Not like he's in school with me.' _

"TEA! There ya are!" Joey yelled, coming toward her. "How you been?"

Tea winced at his vocabulary. "I've been better. You?"

"Well," he said, "I just got a job at McDonalds."

Tristan walked up behind him. "Yeah, he's _lovin' it_...heh.."

Joey smacked him for using the McDonalds motto. "I'm going to use the money toward the prom. You know my pops doesn't have enough money."

"That's a good idea, Joey," Tea said.

Joey beamed until Tristan responded with: "Yeah, can I get fries with that?"

Before Joey could smack Tristan, their homeroom teacher walked in. Everyone took their seats. "Good morning, everyone!" she exclaimed, pulling out her attendance book. "Let's see, is anyone missing?"

"I am!" Joey yelled, raising his hand.

The teacher looked up, quirking an eyebrow. "Don't we all wish, Mr. Wheeler."

The class erupted with laughter, including Joey.

"Anyway, since everyone's here...it looks like we'll be having a new student joining us today. The principal will be bringing him or her shortly."

"A new student?" One classmate whispered to his friend, "but it's April already!"

She nodded. "Maybe he's a foreign exchange student of something."

Sighing, Tea blocked her mind from all the commotion. She had bigger things to worry about. _'How will I get Yami to go to the prom with me? Should I just ask him? Or...not...' _

Tea doodled on her paper, deep in thought. She didn't even seem to notice the principal bring in the new student. Everyone gaped in wonder. The student was a handsome, mysterious looking boy with violet eyes and blond bangs. As the class stared, the teacher took it as a good time to say: "Okay, students. Please welcome our new student, Yami Moto."

"Moto?" Tea dropped her pencil. It rolled on to the floor, making the only noise now heard in the classroom. _'It can't be..' _ Looking up, her eyes met the now known mysteries of the Pharaoh's eyes. Though embarrassed with their eye contact, she didn't look down. She was shocked to see him here_-as a new student! _

"You...know him, Tea?" Kaname asked, now looking at the new student.

Tea cleared her throat. "Yeah, he's...an old friend."

"Alright, Mr. Moto, find a seat behind Joey Wheeler." The teacher said, pointing the blond who was tossing paper balls at a brunette with a queer hairstyle. "Wheeler, would you _kindly _raise your hand?"

"YO YAMI! Come swing over by me!" yelled Joey, ignoring the teacher's orders.

The teacher shook her head, as Yami found his seat behind Joey. "Thank you, Mr. Wheeler. Now, the bell is about to ring, speak amongst yourselves."

Joey turned around to face Yami. "Hey, I can't believe you're here! Well, you're gonna love it! And look, almost the whole gang is here! Look, Tristan's over there! And...there's Miho! Let's see.." He looked around. "Oh, there's Tea!" He pointed over to the back row. Yami glanced over to see Tea busying herself with a book. He was surprised she didn't come over to greet him. Frowning, he turned his attention back to Joey. "Yugi's in the homeroom across the hall, though. You'll probably see him later. But anyway, what are you doing here?"

"Well," he paused, not knowing how to answer the question, "I wanted to finish my High School education. I won't have Kaiba Corps forever." He lied. It wasn't a complete lie, though. He did want to finish his HS education, but he didn't have a job at Kaiba Corps anymore.

"Yo Yami! Nice to see you here! I see you're trying to get free McDonalds' coupons from Joey! May I suggest the McGriddle and--" Before Tristan could finish, Joey had the brunette in a head-lock. "Ahhhh! Can't breathe!" When Joey's grip started to loosen, Tristan kicked Joey to the floor and rested his foot on Joey's chest.

"That's not fair! Ms. Mosay! Tell him to get off!"

Ms. Mosay glanced at them, then looked back her book. "I could have sworn I heard Joey Wheeler's voice," she said aloud, though Joey and Tristan knew she saw them.

**-Ring-**the bell went as the class disappeared into the hallway. Tristan then took his foot off Joey, just as Ms. Mosay was walking over. "Joey, get off the floor. The janitors worked hard to keep the floors clean. We don't know where you've been," she said.

Joey only laughed. He liked Ms. Mosay. She was the only one that actually understood his need for joking around all the time. "_Aight _Ms. Mosay," he got to his feet, "just don't be pestering me to take a bath, too. That only happens about once every two weeks."

"Believe me, Mr. Wheeler, there's a reason why I carry an air freshener in my purse," she said. Then, putting her hand to her hip, she pointed Joey and his friends out the classroom. "Don't be late to class."

Smiling, Joey walked out of the classroom with his friends. "Well, it looks like we got a new addition to our group!" Joey pointed his thumb back toward Yami, who was smiling uneasily.

"Yeah," Tea said, "it's nice to see you here." She beamed.

Yami nodded gratefully for her kind greeting.

"Well, since we got to show you the ropes...what do we all have first period?" Joey asked.

"Chemistry Honors."

"English."

"Same."

"Uhh..."

Tristan, Joey, and Tea looked over at Yami, who was struggling with reading his schedule. Joey then peered over his shoulder. "Dude, you're reading it upside down!" He then took it out of Yami's hands and turned it around. "There ya go! You have Chem Honors wit' Tea."

Tea cleared her throat. "Oh? I'll show you where it is," she said, now signaling Yami to follow her.

Joey and Tristan turned to each other and smirked, but neither said anything. "See you guys in lunch fourth period! And hopefully you won't have trouble reading the lunch menu, Yami," Joey said, winking. Yami's cheeks tinted a light pink.

"Don't listen to Joey," Tea said, as they walked up the stairs. "He's the class clown." Making a right in the hallway, she walked Yami into a room with tables and stools. In the back of the room sat burners, torches, goggles, and chemicals. "This is the Chemistry room," Tea explained, "we're actually kind of early, so if you want to--"

"No, I know where everything is," Yami started. Tea gave him a puzzled look. Then, he added: "I used to go to school with Yugi everyday. He actually used to teach me the things he learned in school. I--" Before he could continue, he noticed Yugi walk in, his smile now a frown.

"Hi Yugi--"

"What are you doing here?" Yugi interrupted Tea, glaring at Yami.

Yami didn't flinch. "I'm a student here."

Tea looked at the two Motos. The shorter one had his arms folded and was frowning, while the taller one stood, not knowing how to react to his ex-Aibou's treatment. "Guys, what's going on?" Tea asked, confused.

"What? Are you trying to better me in school, too?"

"I'm not trying to do anything, Yugi. Now, if you'll excuse me," brushing past Tea and Yugi, Yami found a seat at one of the lab tables.

"...Yugi?"

Yugi, glaring at Yami, ignored Tea and found his seat.

Tea stood there, bewildered. _'What the heck?' _

* * *

Tea sighed. Her classes flew to fourth period, due to her inner concerns about Yugi and Yami. She couldn't understand how Yugi could be so mad at Yami. Sure, she didn't know the whole situation, but Yugi wasn't one to be angry. 

_'Are you trying to better me in school, too?' _Yugi's question called in her mind. She didn't understand what that was supposed to mean to Yami. Yami wasn't trying to better Yugi in anything. _Or was he? _

"Wow Tea, I like your uniform today."

Her train of thought crashed into a brick wall upon hearing Masakazu's voice. He was a boy with brown hair, blue eyes, and a couple inches taller than her. He was a Senior and the captain of the Kumas, which was their HS softball team.

"Hello Masa," she said, though not stopping to chat with him. She didn't like him that much. He considered her his girlfriend, but Tea wanted nothing to do with him. She heard stories about him, and none were good.

"Do you want to go out this weekend?"

Tea turned to look at him. "No thanks." Then she turned on her heel toward the cafeteria.

"Come on Tea, we'll have fun!" Masa said, running after her.

Again, Tea turned around to face him. "That's exactly the reason why I don't want to go." She then walked into the cafe, leaving a bewildered Masakazu behind. He had never been turned down by any girl before. Tea was the first. And she remained the only girl he couldn't ask out.

"Things will change soon enough, Tea." He said, walking away with a smile on his face.

* * *

"Yo Tea! What took you so long to get here?" asked Joey, stuffing his face. 

Tea rolled her eyes and pulled a seat next to Tristan. "That dumb Masa. He actually had the nerve to ask me out again. I told him _no_, and my answer will always be _no_."

"Who's Masa?" asked Yami, who was seated across from them with Joey.

Tea looked up, not realizing that he was there. "Oh, he's...nobody.." Avoiding his eyes, she stood up and walked into the lunchroom. Yami then turned to Tristan and Joey.

"Is she okay?"

Tristan nodded. "Yeah. That Masa is a pain in the ass. He's been asking Tea out since like freshmen year. He's in love with her."

"Why doesn't she just go out with him?"

Joey eyed the once-Pharaoh. He was surprised that he would ask that question. For some reason, he had a feeling Yami liked Tea. Maybe he was wrong. "He doesn't want to go out with her, in that sense. He wants to jump her bones."

Yami cocked an eyebrow. "Jump her bones?"

"You know, give her a ride?" Yami shook his head at Joey's translation.

"Show her the magic stick?" Tristan added, though still getting a confused look from Yami.

"Wow dude, you really need to get out more," Joey said, as Tea walked back over to that table. "Well, you'll learn soon, my friend. Especially with Tristan here."

"Hey!"

Joey giggled.

"So, what are we talking about?" Tea asked, taking a seat.

"Uhh..." Joey looked at Tristan. "Bakura's ass?"

Tea threw a disgusted look at both of them.

"Well, we can't help it, Bakura's bottom is so niiiiice...and firm.."

Tea almost spit the iced tea she had in her mouth. "I'm sitting with Miho."

"Wait!"

Tea turned to him, expecting an apology. Instead, Joey said: "Would you be a doll and throw this out for me?" He pointed to his tray. Tea growled and stomped off angrily. "Ah, she loves me."

Tristan shook his head. "You know she won't talk to you until you apologize."

"She'll get over it." said Joey, brushing off his guilt.

"You know," Tristan said, putting a hand to his chin, "wasn't Tea supposed to tutor you tonight for the Government test tomorrow?"

"Yeah...she was...wait..." He stood up, eyes bugging out. "TEA!"

* * *

Yawning, Tea made her way to her sixth period class. School was a real problem today. _'Two more periods to go,' _she thought. Before she could walk into her class, she saw Serenity at her sophomore locker. "Hey Serenity!" 

Serenity didn't answer. Instead, she wiped several tears from her eyes.

"Umm...Serenity?" She walked up to the red-head.

Serenity turned to her, smiling. "Hi Tea!"

"You okay?"

She nodded. "Yes. I'm great! How's Joey?"

"Being Joey," Tea said, not about to explain his cafeteria antics. "You sure you're all right?"

She nodded, hastily stuffing a letter into her bookbag. Tea's eyes caught a few words of the letter. They were: "Your name is beautiful. It's what I need in my life, just like..." Tea grinned. It was a love letter. Serenity must have been crying from joy.

"Well, I better be going to class. See you later!"

Though chipper in her movements, Tea felt herself growing numb. _'Now Serenity even found the love of her life? I'm such a loser.' _She knew she should be feeling happy for her friend, but she couldn't. She hated the jealousy growing within her. She remembered how it sparked out with Yugi and Rebecca...

_"OH YUGI! BE CAREFUL!" Rebecca squealed, hugging the boy 6 times her senior. _

_"Heh...Rebecca.." Yugi said, blushing at the contact. _

Tea shook out of her daydream. She couldn't believe there was a time she was jealous of Rebecca. It almost made her laugh. Her jealous of a ten-year-old? Wow. '_At least those days are over. Yugi and I are just friends.' _

"Tea?"

Looking up, she saw Yugi staring down at her. "Hey...Yugi..." she said, confused by the sudden change of the tables. Usually she had to look down, not up, at him. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to say sorry for before," he said, "Yami and I are just having...problems."

Tea nodded. "It's okay. I didn't mean to get in the middle of things. I'm just concerned."

"Nothing to be concerned about," Yugi said, "we'll come to an understanding soon enough."

Tea forced a nod. She wanted to know more about their argument, but not one of them was giving that information. She hated being in the dark. "Do you want to come over Rebecca's house after school? I'm sure she won't mind."

_'Yeah right. She'll probably send her teddy bear to attack me...' _Tea shook her head politely. "I actually have to stay after for dance today. Maybe another time?"

He nodded. "Sure, another time." He then took his seat.

* * *

Yami stepped out of his eighth period class feeling... 

"Tired?" Tristan asked, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Yami nodded. "Yeah, I thought Kaiba was boring."

"Haha," Joey said, "you do have a sense of humor after all! I knew it would only take a day with Wheeler and Taylor to get it out of you!"

As they walked to their lockers, Yami felt like something was missing. Not something. Someone. "Hey guys, where's Tea?" He asked, looking around for the brunette.

"I think she just got out of Spanish IV with Yugi."

"Oh."

Joey opened his locker. "Why the long face? Lonely?"

"Nobody wants to be loooonnnnnnnnneely...nobody wants to crrry!"

Yami flushed in embarrassment at Tristan and Joey, who were singing an American song he never heard before. "Umm...I'm going to go to my locker." Walking across the hall to his locker, he opened it and placed some books in. Then, closing it, he saw Tristan and Joey walking toward him.

"Miho just told me that Tea is in dance. We'll go swing by there so I can apologize. You wanna come?" asked Joey. Yami nodded. He had nothing better to do.

"Great," Tristan said, "we'll walk around the school. It's easier."

Stepping outside the school, Yami breathed in the fresh breeze that swept past them. The breeze smelled new--fresh, almost. "Hey Yami! Keep up the pace!" Tristan yelled as they followed the sidewalk to a big building ahead. It was then that Joey started walking the opposite way. Tristan and Yami stood there, confused.

"Hey, give me a second!" Joey yelled, as he walked into the street. "I'm going to get my car!"

Tristan cocked an eyebrow. "Are you THAT lazy?"

"Nah, I got to be at Mcdonalds at four o'clock. It would be easier if I parked it near the auditorium."

Sighing, Tristan looked at Yami. "So, how was your first day?"

"Good," Yami answered. "It had a bit of a culture shock."

Tristan laughed. "Oh, with reading your schedule upside down?"

Yami joined in the laughter. "Yeah, it's just something I have to get used to." He then turned his head to see a limo pull up to a girl with red hair. "Hey Tristan? Is that _Serenity_?"

Tristan turned his head. "Yeah, what's that limo--" He paused, now watching Serenity climb into the limo. "What is she doing?"

It was then Joey pulled up with his car. "You guys wanna ride?"

"Uh...Joey? Does your sister know anyone with a limo?"

Joey looked at Tristan, confused. "No, why?"

"Well," he pointed to the limo ahead of them, "she just went into that one."

"WHA?" he yelled, squinting at the limo. "And you guys didn't say anything?" He asked, not looking at them. The limo then pulled away from the curb. "Crap, get in guys. We're following this dude."

Nodding, Tristan and Yami climbed into the car quickly. As soon as Yami's door closed, Joey stepped on the gas, in hot pursuit of the limo...

* * *

"KAIBA'S MANSION?" 

Tristan, Yami, and Joey stared in amazement as the limo parked inside Kaiba's estate. They couldn't follow the limo past the gates because the system was automated and looked like it was under heavy surveillance.

"What should we do now?" Tristan asked, as a well-dressed man walked to the back of the limo. The man pulled out a briefcase and walked to the side, where he opened the door for his company.

"I don't know...wait! She's okay!" Joey yelled as the man helped Serenity out of the car. "But...who's dat wit her?" He pressed his forehead to the glass of his car door. "Is that...Kaiba?" Joey's inquiry was right. It was Kaiba.

From the looks of it, Serenity was unharmed. She even walked up to her captor and let him wrap a hand around her waist. "Wha does he tink he's doin?" It was then their chauffeur led them into the house.

"Is he jumping her bones?" Yami asked.

This infuriated Joey. "OH NO HE ISN'T!" Opening the car door, he ran up to the gates and started shaking them. "SERENITY! SERENITY!"

"Dude," Tristan said, getting out of the car. "First of all, they're in the house. And second of all, she was smiling when she was with him. Maybe they're just going inside as friends."

"I don't trust that _suit_ as far as I can throw him! We're going in there!"

Tristan was about to protest, but knew he would lose. Joey loved his sister and guarded her with his life. "Well, how are we going to get in?"

"If I may make a suggestion," Yami said, "I may know the code to his security system."

Joey stared at him. "Please Yami, you got to help my sister!"

Yami knew he wasn't supposed to use the security code, especially since he didn't work with Kaiba anymore, but he knew Joey had good intentions. "Alright," he said, walking up to the system, "I don't know if it will work." After punching in the last number, the system beeped and the gates opened.

"You did it! Let's go in!" yelled Joey, running through the entrance. Tristan and Yami followed close behind. "Come on, the front door is only a few feet away!"

As Yami followed Joey, he felt like he was missing something. _'Was there something else I was supposed to do?' _He looked around quickly, though still running. Something was definitely amiss.

It was then Joey was pushed back by an unknown force. Tristan was thrown back as well. Yami, on the other hand, stopped before the force could touch him. He remembered what he forgot to do. _'I forgot to turn off the Duel Monster defenses...' _The force that pushed back Tristan and Joey warped into a Lajin, the green genie monster.

"Holy crap! How did Kaiba do that?" shouted Joey, looking at his friends.

Yami clenched his fists. "That's Kaiba's Duel Monster defenses! He just invented them with me several months ago. The only way to destroy them is with our cards!" Searching through his pockets, he couldn't find his deck. "Oh no!" He looked back toward Joey's car. His deck was in his bookbag, which was in his car. "Joey, do you have your cards?"

Joey stood up. "Of course, man!" He then pulled out his deck. "I'm always ready to beat Kaiba's monsters!" Sliding a card from a deck, he summoned his Red Eyes Black Dragon. "Sweet! Talk about luck!" He then pointed his finger at Lajin. "Alright, attack that genie!"

His Red Eyes attacked, causing the genie to disintegrate into little pieces. "I'm bad! I know it! I'm bad! I'm gonna--"

"Uhh...Joey! We got more trouble!"

Joey stopped his dance to see his Red Eyes become Kaiba's BEWD's dinner. "No, my Red Eyes!" As he slid another card into his hand, he knew he had no monsters powerful enough to defeat Kaiba's BEWD. Hologram or not. "Maybe we should run..."

"Yeah, before I call the real thing on you!" A cold voice yelled. Then, "Defenses, stop protocol 000345." He ordered. The hologram disappeared, leaving Joey, Tristan, and Yami standing there, idiotically.

Seeing his sister come out as well, Joey said: "Umm...hey sis..."

"Joey, why are you here?" she asked.

Joey cleared his throat. "I was trying to get you away from that _thing_."

Kaiba sneered, turning away from his opponent.

"Joey," Serenity started, "that thing is now my boyfriend."

"Wha?" exclaimed Joey. "No way! Not Kaiba!"

Serenity nodded. "Yes, he's my boyfriend. I didn't want to tell you because I knew you would act like that!" Tears started to well in her eyes. She didn't want Kaiba and Joey to fight over her love.

"No, sis. Don't cry. Really, it was all Tristan's idea."

"HEY! I didn't even-"

"But seriously," stepping forward, Joey continued, "If you're happy with him, then...I'm...well...okay with it."

"Really?"

Joey nodded. "Yeah. Ol' Joey won't discourage you from dating this creep-(cough) I mean, Kaiba." He turned to his two friends, trying to hide his disappointment. He didn't want his sister to see that he wasn't taking it as well as she thought he was. "You're ready to go? I gotta get to work in a few." They nodded, though Yami was lost in a glare with Kaiba's eyes for a couple of minutes. He knew Kaiba was pissed for unlocking his defenses, but he supposed Kaiba wouldn't unleash his rage around Serenity.

"Bye!" Tristan, Joey, and Yami said in unison as they left Kaiba's estate.

"Wow, Kaiba and Serenity? That means you and Kaiba will be brother-in-laws if they get married! Can you imagine?" Tristan asked, as they climbed into Joey's car.

"Please, I don't want to imagine." Joey said as he drove back to the school...

* * *

"I hope Tea is still there," said Joey, now walking into the building with Yami and Tristan. 

"She should be," Tristan said, "you know she practices in there longer than the others."

As they walked down the rows of chairs, they saw Tea, practicing a routine for her dance class. She stumbled a little bit at first, but she nailed the rest of her spins, flips, and turns perfectly. Yami was quite impressed. He knew Tea was inspired to be a dancer, but he didn't she was as dedicated as she was.

"Hey guys, I wasn't expecting you here."

Joey smiled. "Ah, you know Tristan. He has separation anxiety."

"Why are you blaming me for everything today?" Tristan yelled, punching the blond upside the head. Joey countered his attack, leading them into a fight on the floor.

As they fought, Tea glanced over at Yami. "Hey, how was your first day?"

"Like I told Tristan, it was a bit of a culture shock."

Tea nodded. "You get used to it. Just like them and their constant bickering."

"Yeah," Yami said, laughing. "I had a couple of great experiences today."

She smiled, then turned around and picked up her bookbag. "I'm glad. I hope my routine was one of those great experiences." She winked, causing Yami's cheeks to grow hot. She didn't notice. She was thinking about how she just flirted with Yami. _'I even winked! Oh Ra, I'm losing my mind.' _Smiling, she added: "I better be going before mom calls the police again."

"Bye," Yami said, quite bewildered by his show of emotions for Tea.

"Wait Tea! I'm coming!" Tristan yelled, pushing Joey away. "Enjoy McDonalds!" yelled Tristan as he walked out of the auditorium with Tea.

Joey looked at his watch. "I got a couple of minutes..."

"Hey," Yami said, "weren't you supposed to apologize to Tea?"

Joey looked at Yami for a second. "Oh crap! I got to go catch up to her! See ya!"

"See ya." Waving, Yami watched as Joey ran out the building, leaving him alone. It didn't bother him, though. He was used to being alone. Kaiba Corps never allowed to meet many people because he was trapped in the isolation of his office.

But now...

He was surrounded by his friends--the people he went on many adventures with when he was inside the puzzle. He was content. And with the many events of today, he knew he would remain content.

_'Hopefully...' _

_

* * *

_

_To be continued..._

_Yo! I've been actually updating my fics weekly! Woo! LOL, anyway, Seto/Serenity-ness is over for the moment. Now to come in the next chapter is Joey/Mai and more Yami/Tea. I think Yami's reaching a breakthrough with his feelings for Tea! Alright! But still, what's wrong with Yugi? _


	4. Bite the Dust

Disclaimer: I do not own YGO or McDonalds

Thanks to: **Little Atemu, svakee2000, Darkhope, RoseGoddess874, The Broken Bow, Anime-Alee, Amazoness Archer, Sailor Star Universe, Racegirl, Daikaio, Shining Friendship, AerinM, Hysterik-Angel, Wild Falcon Spirit, Luthien Anwaman, and sweetmidnight. **

A/N(1): Well, this chapter is pretty boring. The next chapter will be better, I promise. And I looked up Tristan's birthday, and it _is _on April 19! Woo-hoo! This story is so accurate! LOL, just kidding. And sorry **Hysterik-Angel **and **Luthien Anwaman**, my favorite Joey/Mai writers, but no Joey/Mai in this chapter. I made a mistake. It's next chapter. And **Sailor Star Universe**, sorry I couldn't have this fic up before your prom. Hope you had fun, though.

Title: _Just A Night_

Chapter Four: _Bite the Dust _

**April 7th, 2005 **

"So, anything going on in school?" Tea's mother, Oki Gardner, asked as she mixed pancake batter in a large, ceramic bowl. Tea looked up from her "Prom Dresses" magazine and answered:

"No mom, nothing is going on. Why, is there supposed to be?"

Her mom let out a good-natured laugh. "Oh Tea, you know what I mean," she said, as she winked at Tea. "Any boys? I'm sure the Senior Vice President has plenty of admirers!" Tea closed her magazine and looked at her mom.

"Not in the least. Really, who would go out with me?"

"Give yourself some credit, Tea, you're a Gardner!" Her mom let out another laugh as she poured some batter into a well-buttered frying pan. Then, "What about that nice, kind boy who walked you home several times?"

"What--?" Tea dazed out for a minute to remember, but when the image came to her head, she almost jumped out of her chair. "Not Masazaku! No mom! He's gross!"

"He seemed pretty nice to me," Oki said, grabbing a spatula from the drawer.

Tea breathed in slowly. "Mom, there is no way I'm going out with Masa! Now, can we change the subject, _please_?" She said, pleading with her eyes.

"Fine, fine!" Oki said, lowering the dial on the fire. She then turned to Tea. "But when the right boy comes around, and you two start getting intimate, you need to make sure you're ready. Don't just do it because he's pressuring you. You need to want to do the boom boom."

"OH MY GOD!" Tea yelled, covering her face with her hands. She hated when her mom referenced sex as "doing the boom boom." It was so explicit, yet old-fashioned.

"Tea, I'm being serious. When the time comes, and you want to do it, make sure you use protection. Sometimes when you're in the heat of the moment, you don't think. You just want to do the boom boom without ear plugs." She flipped the now-brown pancake.

Tea sunk in her chair. Now her mom had used "ear plugs" to mean condoms. "Mom, it's okay. I won't--"

"Sure, you may think you'll be ready, but as soon as the friction between--"

"MOM!" Tea yelled, looking at her mother. "Please, I'll be okay."

Oki looked at her daughter. "Oh Tea! Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful experience. I remember the first time with your father--oh! Looks like the pancakes are done." Using the spatula, she transferred each pancake from the frying pan to a plate. "Pancakes?"

Tea stared at them. "Uhh...no...I think I'll pass.."

* * *

Picking up her bookbag, Tea looked out the window for her friend, Joey. Usually Joey would pick her up and take her to school because she was on the way. She liked it, all except for the fact that Joey drove 60 mph in a 15 mph zone. "Tea?"

Tea turned her head. Her mom was calling her from the kitchen. _'Come on, Joey! Come a little faster!' _she yelled in her head, as she heard her mom's footsteps. _'No, I can't survive another lecture!' _It was then she saw a black car pull in her driveway. _'Yes Joey!' _

"Sorry, mom! Gotta go!" She then ran out of the door, hoping that her mother wouldn't be too upset at her when she got home. Once outside, she looked down at her uniform to make sure everything was in order. Smiling with satisfaction, she glanced over at Joey's car. _'Wait...that's not Joey's car..' _

As she peered through the windshield, she caught blonde hair like Joey, but it blended into a pink and purple color. She felt like stopping in her tracks once she realized who it was. She knew she couldn't, however. _'You'd look like an idiot.' _

Now that she had walked up to the passenger's window, the window cracked open. "Hey Tea! Joey asked me if I could pick you up today because he couldn't. I hope you don't mind."

She shook her head, now opening the door and climbing in. "Thanks."

Nodding, he turned his head to see if any cars were coming, then he quickly pulled out of her driveway and on to the main road. The ride was quiet because of Tea's uneasiness to speak, but finally she came out with: "So, how are you? I haven't seen you a lot because we only have Chemistry together."

"Yeah," he said, "most of my classes are with Ryou or Tristan."

She didn't answer. She only looked out the window, watching the many restaurants they drove past. _'Burger World...Joe's Grill...All-U-Can-Eat Buffet...' _She thought, as her stomach started bubbling. Her mother's talk had made her miss breakfast, which meant she would be starving until lunch time.

It was then her stomach let out a growl from the torture of thinking about food when it couldn't have any. Tea held her stomach and blushed furiously. _'My stomach just growled in front of my crush...' _Then, trying to keep her cool, she said: "Oh sorry, I didn't eat this morning."

"It's okay," he said, making a left into a McDonalds, "we're a little early for school anyway. What would you like?" He glanced over at her, which made her blush even more.

_'Alright, stop acting like a Yami fangirl.' _She cleared her throat and looked at the menu they were slowly approaching. "Umm..it doesn't matter. I guess an orange juice and an egg and cheese sandwich." He nodded as they pulled up to the speaker. It was then a familiar voice blarred through the speaker.

"Yo, welcome to Mickey D's! What _you_ be having?"

Tea's mouth almost dropped. "Is that Joey?" she whispered to Yami, who slowly nodded his head. He was just as surprised as her to see him working this early in the morning. The voice then called again:

"What you be having?"

Yami, shrugging his shoulders, voiced his order and waited for Joey to give him the price.

"Uh..give me a sec...hmm..is that a two? Umm..that will be around five fifty-one. Pull up to the next window," the employee said, as the speaker crackled with the sounds of pots and pans.

"Did he say _around _five fifty-one?" Yami said with a laugh. Tea nodded, joining in the laughter. As Yami pulled the car up to the next window, Tea grabbed her purse to find the amount for her meal, but she was stopped by Yami. "Don't worry about it, I got it."

Tea looked at him. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I--"

"YO GUYS!" the same voice from the speaker said to them from the window. "How y'all been?"

As Tea moved her head to see Joey, she stifled a laugh. He was in a bright red apron with a white hat that had the McDonalds' symbol on it. He also had a mouthpiece that extended a few feet from his mouth awkwardly. "Hey..." was all she could get out without laughing.

"Why are you working here so early?"

Joey sighed. "I'm doing some overtime hours to pay for Mai's ticket." Tea nodded slowly, as she now remembered "prom tradition". When asked to prom by a girl, the girl had to pay for her date's ticket. And vice versa with the boy. She supposed Joey was gonna ask Mai, and pay for her ticket.

It was then a strange thought occurred to Tea. _If Joey did ask Mai, what if she couldn't go? _She opened her mouth to ask, but she couldn't burst Joey's bubble. It was like punishing an old dog for trying to learn a new trick.

"Well, anyway, here's your order. That will be...umm.." He looked at the screen. "Oh man, did I just delete that dude's order?" Scratching his head, Joey stood there staring at the screen.

"Here's six dollars, Joey. Keep the change." Yami said.

Joey winked. "Wow, I didn't know I got tips on this job." Then, laughing, he left the window for a second and came back with their order. "Well guys, I'll see you in school. My shift ends in ten minutes."

Yami took the order with one hand and waved with the other. "See you in school." Then, passing the order to Tea, he drove into the parking lot, where he parked. Tea swallowed hard, slightly nervous.

"Umm...I think this is yours," she said, taking out a packaged sandwich.

"Thanks," he said, as he took the sandwich.

Their hands awkwardly touched for a second.

Tea pulled away hastily. She knew she would turn into tomato if she held their current position. Then, glancing in the corner of her eye, she noticed that Yami wasn't moving a muscle. _'He doesn't like you like that, Tea. Just talk to him like you used to in Battle City.' _Taking a deep breath, she said: "Thanks again. I just haven't had time to eat with dance, student council, and homework."

"Student Council?"

Tea took a bite into her sandwich. Then, once she swallowed, she said: "It's like a committee that runs and manages the class. I'm the Vice President of the Senior class."

"Oh, why not the President?"

Tea smiled. "I didn't want to run against my friend, Miho."

"Scared you would have beat her?"

Tea blushed, though not afraid for Yami to her do so. "It's okay. Miho's doing an excellent job with prom."

"Prom is like a dance, right?"

"Yeah," Tea nodded, "it's like dinner and dancing in fancy clothes. Nothing really special about it. I just have to go because I'm on the Student Council." She took another bite of her sandwich.

"You don't want to go?"

Tea sighed. "There's no point in going when you don't have your"--she turned her head toward him--"significant other to share it with." They sat there, eyes searching each other's for a moment. His violet dark skies casting over her sea of blue. It was an artistic picture, nonetheless.

Then Tea broke away, embarrassed. "But I'll still have fun with everyone there."

"Yeah," nodding, he looked at his watch. "Ready to go?"

She crumpled her wrapper into her palm. "Yeah, let's go.."

* * *

After Yami and Tea arrived at school, they went down their separate hallways to their lockers. Tea sighed as she walked down the hallway, hugging her books against her chest. Just to be in the same car as Yami made her nervous. She wondered how long she could hold her feelings in.

"Hey Tea!" Kaname chirped, walking beside her. "I can't believe you bagged Masa finally!"

Dazed, Tea turned her head. "What?"

"C'mon Tea! I'm your friend! You can tell me!"

Tea stopped and turned to her friend. "No, really. What are you talking about?"

"Rumor has it that Mr. Popular jock and Ms. Vice President are going out. Can you confirm?" Kaname asked, now setting down her books near her locker, which was adjacent to Tea's locker.

"NO!" yelled Tea, almost dropping her books. "There's no way I would go out with Masa!"

Kaname winked. "Why not?"

"Kaname! He's like...a pervert! He's also been out with half of the girls in this school!" defended Tea, now opening her locker and shoving her books in. She couldn't believe rumor had spread around that she was going out with Masazaku. Who could have spread that rumor? "MASA!" she yelled, as she grabbed her bookbag and walked to the other side where his locker was. As usual, he was talking to some girl. "Masa, I'd like an explanation."

Masa turned around innocently. Then, looking back at the girl, he said: "I'll talk to you a little later." She nodded and walked away, slightly fuming that he would blow her off for Tea Gardner. "How can I be of service to you?"

"Telling me why the hell the whole Senior class thinks we're going out!"

Masa smiled. "Tea, Tea, Tea. It's only a rumor. Don't get that cute skirt so bent out of shape." He tried to touch the hem of her skirt, but she moved back furiously.

"You pervert! Don't even _think_ for a second we're going out! I don't date trash!"

She turned around to leave, but he pinned her against the locker, his hand on her hip. "Don't be so harsh, Tea--"

With all her strength, Tea punched Masa in the face. Everyone dropped their conversations with their friends to look at the scene before them. Masa was on the floor, holding his bloody nose, while Tea was standing there, shaking her hand.

Yami was even in shock. He was talking to Tristan when the incident happened.

"ALRIGHT! Don't crowd around him!" A strong voice yelled as he pushed through the crowd. Tea swallowed hard. It was the Principal. "You...and you! My office--now!" he yelled, pointing to Tea and Masazaku.

_'No...I didn't mean to!' _Tea screamed in her head. Everything seemed to be replaying in her head slowly. _Masa. The punch. Him falling to the floor. _She wanted to hold her head and cry against the wall, but she had to stay strong. Especially when facing the Principal.

There was mutters and whispers as Tea and Masa followed the Principal. Tea didn't care. She was just worried about her student record and position in Student Council. Nothing else seemed to matter. Not even Masa, who had blood sputtering out of his nose.

"Come in, both of you." The Principal said calmly, holding the door open for the two of them. "And you, here's a towel," he said, throwing a towel at Masa. "I don't want you bleeding all over my new carpet."

As the principal seated himself in his chair, he laced his fingers and looked at the both of them. "Tea Gardner, as a member of Student Council, I'd like to hear from you first."

"Well...um...there was rumors spreading around that Masa and I were going out. It wasn't true, so I decided to confront him with the rumor--"

"With the punch?" The principal interrupted.

Tea shook her head. "No, I just asked him about it and then he told me that it was only a rumor. He then tried to touch my skirt, but I moved away." She was about to continue when the principal interrupted her.

"Masazaku, is this true?"

"Yes, but--"

"Good. Continue Tea Gardner."

Tea liked the principal already. He didn't seem to be paying any attention to Masa's side at all. "When I started walking away, he put me up against the locker and started saying something, and that's when I...hit...him."

"You punched me for _no _reason!" Masa shouted.

Tea swallowed hard. He was right. She didn't really have a reason, except for the fact that she hated his guts. She was surprised that she handled the situation like so, but it was too late now. She couldn't go back and stop herself from doing it.

The principal cleared his throat. "Actually, Masa. That's a sexual offense. Tea felt that you were handling her uncomfortably, so she had the right to use self defense against you."

Masa's mouth dropped open.

"Yes, if Tea wanted to, she could press charges against you and take your car, house, and everything that you own. Then, it could go on your permanent record and you could be sent to juvenile hall."

Masa stared. "That's not...Tea...you wouldn't..."

"She can. Tea, do you want to?"

Tea looked at the principal, then Masa. "No, I don't wish to."

"Good, now leave Masa."

Masa ran out the room as if he saw a ghost. Tea didn't make any move to leave until she was asked to. "And Tea, don't worry. I will not use this against you on your student record. I'm only going to call your mother and tell her what happened."

Tea nodded. "Thank you. I'm sorry for all of this."

"No," he shook his head, "you did the right thing. Even if you didn't know it was a sexual offense, Masazaku deserved it." He smiled, then stood up. "And don't worry, all those things I told Masazaku weren't true. Sure, it could go on his record, but the court can't take anything away from him. Let's just call it a scare tactic." He winked. Then, "You may leave."

"Thank you," the brunette said, leaving his office. _'Wow, he's got to be the coolest principal ever...' _

* * *

The hallway was empty as Tea walked to her first class, Chemistry Honors. Though she was relieved that she didn't get in trouble, she still felt like she did in the pit of her stomach. Maybe because she hit Masa? She shook her head. "I may be nice, but I'll never feel sorry for Masazaku."

Now walking up the stairs, she was a few feet from the Chemistry room. Breathing in, she walked into the classroom. All eyes went on Tea. They knew what happened.

"Tea, why are you late for my class?"

Tea looked at the teacher. "I had to see the principal."

The teacher nodded, and continued to teach her class. Tea sighed, walking to her lab table, where Yami was trying to keep her eyes off of her. He had been worried about her, but now that was here, he was glad that she was all right.

"What page are we on?" she whispered to Yami

"Page three fifty-four," he whispered back, "you're okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, fine." He nodded and looked back at the board.

A smile crept on her lips, but it was short-lasted when an announcement blarred through the lab: "TEA GARDNER, PLEASE REPORT TO THE MAIN OFFICE. YOUR MOTHER IS HERE TO PICK YOU UP!"

Closing her book, Tea excused herself from class and walked back downstairs. Sure enough, her mom was sitting there, with a smile on her face. "Mom, why are you smiling?"

"I'm proud of you, honey," her mom whispered as they walked out the building together. "I came to pick you up because I know that people would be bothering you all day. That happened to me once. I hated it." Tea cracked a smile, though she wasn't sure her mom should be proud. "I'll take you home, and then I have to go to work. You'll have the house all to yourself."

Tea, bewildered, remained quiet. _'I don't know what the principal told her, but I'm sending him a fruit basket.' _

* * *

Tea, now in her pajamas, yawned slightly as she turned on the television in the living room. She couldn't believe she hit Masa. She couldn't believe she was home. This day was definitely weirding her out. Flipping through the channels, she found herself already getting bored...

_"Oooooooooooh...who lives in a pineapple under the sea-" _She flipped again, _"Today on Divorce Court-" _Flip. _"Que? Gracias-" _Flip. _"We just got word that Michael Jackson has been arrested once again for the charges of molesting-" _Flip. _"Holla back, yal! BET is proud to bring you rapper-" _Flip. _"The House of Representatives-" _Flip. _"We understand how hard it is to lose weight, that's why we bring you-" _Flip. _"...and just for 20 cents a day, you're contribution will be-" _

"UGH!" Throwing the remote on the floor, she drove her head into the nearest pillow. "Maybe I should just try to sleep. Not like anyone is around to disturb me."

_"Ryan, there's been something I've been meaning to tell you." _Tea lifted her head up, eyes locking on a man and a woman holding hands. "The remote must have changed the channel," she whispered, about to change the station.

Something, however, kept her from doing so. _"I thought you said that there would be no secrets between us..." _Sitting up, Tea listened attentively. _"This is no secret, you and I both have known this for a long time. You see, ever since you saved me in that car accident, I've fallen in love with you." _

Tea eyed the soap opera. "Wow...that kind of reminds me of..Yami and me...when he saved me.." Resting her head on the pillow, she sighed dreamily. "Too bad I'll never get a chance to tell him.." Closing her eyes, she drifted off to sleep...

* * *

"YO TEA! Are you there?" a voice called from outside, followed by loud bangs on the door.

Tea's eyes cracked open as she looked in the direction of the front door. "What happened?" She looked at her watch. "I slept for six hours!" Standing up, she tried to fix her hair as best as possible. Then, pulling on her sleeves, she opened the front door.

Joey, Yami, and Tristan were standing there, grinning. "Whoa, nice pajamas, Tea."

Tea looked down to see that she was still wearing her teddy bear pajamas. She blushed, but made no attempt to hide them. "Umm...do you want to come in?"

"Yeah, just make sure you put those fists where I can see them," Joey said as they all walked in. Tea resisted the urge to hit him over the head. "So, what did you do all day?"

"I...uhh...slept..."

Joey shrugged his shoulders. "Suits me." He said, throwing himself on her couch. Yami and Tristan did the same, but in a more casual way. Tea sat on the couch opposite of them.

"What's up? How was school?" she asked.

Joey sighed. "Nothing. Everyone was just talking about Masa. How you handlin' it?"

"I'm fine. Haven't given it much thought."

"Good grasshopper, we taught you well," Tristan said with his head low.

She threw a pillow at him. "Guys, seriously, did anyone say anything about me?"

"Ah, you know Masa is trying to play the victim."

Tea nodded at Tristan's statement. "Masa is a loser."

"Yeah," Joey said, "maybe we should have a 'Masa is a loser' party."

Tristan nodded. "Yeah, we can have it on the same day as my 18th birthday party next week."

"Birthday party?" Joey asked, curiously. "I didn't get an invite.."

Tristan laughed nervously. "Well...umm...maybe Bakura's ass ate it or something...you know that thing is big.."

"YOU JERK!" yelled Joey, as he lunged for Tristan. Meanwhile, Tristan had moved away and was now protecting himself with a pillow. "I'm gonna do a _Tea_ on you!"

"Dude! I was kidding! You didn't have to use the means of _The Tea _on me. That's dangerous!"

Tea laughed, along with Yami, who had been quite silent during the ordeal. "Yes, it is dangerous. You need training before you can go forth with the attack."

Tristan and Joey sat Indian style and watched Tea intently. "Please, teach us the way."

Nodding, Tea looked at Yami. "Would you like to learn, too?"

"Yes master." He said, sitting with the other two.

Now laughing, Tea started teaching them the way of..._The Tea_...

* * *

To be continued...

Yup, that's it for this chapter. I didn't like it that much, but whatever. Next chapter is...the party chapter! Oh yeah! Put your hands up! Put your hands up! LOL. See ya then! And sorry for no Yugi in this chapter. We got into a fight yesterday, so I decided not to put him in.


	5. Shake Ya Tailfeather

Disclaimer: Don't own anything

Thanks: **Shining Friendship, svakee2000, Ksaturn, XXR.I.PXX, Sailor Star Universe, Racegirl, yami/tea fan, Hysterik-Angel, keeper-of-the-triforce, sweetmidnight, The Broken Bow, animeluver911, Amazoness Archer, Daikaio, and merissala. **

A/N(1): Wow, everyone was so excited to see Masa get his butt kicked! Is Masa that bad? (Yami and Tea fans nod) Uh...well...you are gonna hate me later. (cough) Well, anyway, it's the party chapter! Tristan has a partay! What's bound to happen?

Title: _Just A Night_

Chapter Five: _Shake Ya Tailfeather_

**April 19, 2005**

Today was _Senior Cut Day_, an unofficial tradition in the Domino High School. To seniors, it meant taking a day off from school to go to a party or hang out with friends. Teachers never knew how to stop this tradition because every senior class had done it on a different day. Tea sighed as she sat in her Chemistry class, which was filled with only three students--Yugi, Miho, and herself. She felt like a dork, but it wasn't her fault. Members of Student Council could not cut school, or else they could risk losing their title.

"I wonder how Tristan's party is.." Yugi mumbled as he sketched in his notebook.

Tea nodded, remembering the conversation yesterday...

_"So I propose we have cut day tomorrow and have a BBQ at Tristan's house, what do you all say?" Joey asked, as he looked among the fifty seniors. Most nodded, while others conversated with their friends. _

_"Let's do it, guys!" Tristan added, "Come on, we won't get another chance like this." _

_"Yeah!" most chanted as they exchanged hi-fives. _

"You all can go," the chemistry teacher said, laughing, "not like we can accomplish much work."

Nodding, Tea packed her stuff up. There was nothing they _could_ really do today. There was only about seven seniors in school. Along with the four Student Council members, three others decided to come in. "This is stupid," she whispered, just as her cell phone rang. "Oh no.." She looked up to see if the teacher heard it. She didn't. Turning away from the teacher, she answered her phone. "Hello?"

_"Yo Tea! What up?" _

Tea rolled her eyes."Well Joey, I'm in school. What do you think?" Tea waited to hear Joey's voice again, but all she heard was loud music and people talking. "Joey? Are you there?" she whispered, as she turned around to see Yugi waiting for her. She signaled him to wait.

_"Oh sorry, Tea! I was talking to someone. Well, if ya want, I can pick ya up in fifteen minutes."_

Tea looked at her watch. It was about eleven o'clock. "Joey, the teachers will know that I'm not in school. There's only seven seniors in school today. I'll just walk over there after school is over."

_"Come on, Tea, it's cut day!" _

Tea bit her lip. Joey was really pressuring her to go. "I dunno..."

_"You know you want to..." _Joey said, rather awkwardly.

"I do want to go, but--"

_"Good, I'll be there before you can say 'Bakura's ass.'_

"Joey!" she yelled, but the phone line was already dead.

It was then she felt a tap on her shoulder. "What did he say, Tea?" Yugi asked.

Sighing, Tea closed her phone and put it back in her bag. "He said he's going to pick me up in fifteen minutes, but I don't know how I'll be able to get out. There's security guards everywhere. And what about the teachers!"

Yugi pondered for a second. Then, "You can always say that you're sick."

"Yugi," Tea said, thinking about it, "I think you might be on to something."

* * *

"I don't like this," Domino High's nurse said, "you got dizzy and almost fainted in class?"

Tea held her head. "Yes, this is the first time this has ever happened to me."

"I'll say," she said, looking at Tea's medical card. "You have no history of illness." She continued to look through the papers. Tea's eyes slightly widened, thinking that the nurse may be on to her scheme.

Then, looking at Tea, she said: "But I will send you home. I have a feeling it's the stress that's getting to you. I'll tell the office you're going home. Would you like to call your mother to pick you up?"

"Yes, thank you," Tea stood, wobbily at first, and walked out the room. _'You are good..' _

As she walked out, she saw Yugi waiting patiently for her. He cocked his eyebrow up for a response from her. She nodded, then gave a thumbs-up. "I'll be out of here in no time."

"Great, I hope you have fun."

Tea turned to Yugi. "Wait--why aren't you not going to this party? Tristan and Joey invited everyone."

"Ah, I have some things to take care of at the Hawkins' house," Yugi said.

Tea, though knowing that he was lying, dropped the subject. She had a feeling Yugi wasn't going because of Yami. And speaking of Yami, Tea was surprised that he let Joey and Tristan sucker him into going. _'I guess he's turning into one of us after all...' _She then looked back at Yugi. "How's Rebecca and her father?"

"They have been very hospitable. Grandpa loves having someone to duel when I'm at school." Yugi chuckled, then continued, "Rebecca has been very nice. Though she brags about high school work being stupid, she helps me a lot."

Tea nodded. "That's great."

"Yeah.." Yugi cleared his throat and looked around. "How's everything?"

"Well, with Joey working, Yami's been driving me to school. He's been very nice about it, too. I really think he's--" She stopped, now realizing that Yugi and Yami weren't on good terms. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring him up."

Yugi shrugged his shoulders. "No, just because him and I are having problems doesn't mean you can't talk about him." Sighing, he walked over to the window. Tea followed, slightly saddened by the fact that they were fighting.

"You guys were _one _when you had the puzzle, I'm sure you can move past whatever has caused this rift between you both." Tea reasoned, as she put a hand on his shoulder.

Yugi shook his head, moving away. "That's exactly what's causing the rift, Tea. I hate the fact that I ever allowed him to use my body!" Then, breathing in, he didn't look at her.

Tea was speechless. "Yugi...do you want to talk about it?"

"What? So you can tell him? He acts like he doesn't know what's going on, but he does. He just doesn't want to admit to himself that he ruined my life. Those four years were hell, and he knows it. Don't trust him, Tea."

"Yugi, you don't mean that. You were a team before--"

"I can't talk to you! All you're going to do is take his side! Everyone will take his side, you know why? Because everyone liked him better than me! That's right, even you, the voice of reason, fell for him." He yelled, now looking at her confused face. "That's right. I've known that you've always had a crush on him." Before she could answer, he tilted his head slightly. "Your ride's here." He then walked away, not bothering to wave.

Tea raised her eyebrow, but didn't take another second to think about it. Yugi was right, her ride was here. As she walked out the school, she realized that Yugi was right about another thing. She _did _always have a crush on Yami...

* * *

"Yo Tea, what's up?" asked Joey once she was in the car.

Disturbed, Tea said: "I don't know, Joey. I was just talking to Yugi...and he was talking to me about Yami. He said the most horrible things, but...it didn't sound like the Yugi I've known since preschool."

"Yeah, Yugi's changed," he said, signaling to the left, "but...let's try to be happy today. It's Tristan's big day, and if Yugi doesn't want to be there to celebrate, then he's not worth worrying about." Joey said.

Tea was surprised by what Joey said. "Yes...you're right.." She then looked out the window. _'Yugi said that she shouldn't trust Yami, but was Yugi the one she shouldn't trust?' _

* * *

The party was held in Tristan's backyard. There were balloons tied to the mailbox and the fence. As Joey and Tea walked to the back, Tea started hearing music and the familar laughter of people from school. Then, she started seeing people from school. One after the other, they either smiled or waved at her. She acknowledged them kindly and continued on her way. Dance music was playing. Some people were dancing, others just sitting by the pool drinking or talking.

"Wow, this is a heck of a transformation." She said, remembering what Tristan's backyard used to look like.

"Tea! You made it!" Tristan shouted from behind the BBQ. He was cooking. "Nice uniform."

She laughed. It wasn't her fault she didn't have a change of clothes. "Yes, I have officially done something bad." She then sat down and observed the party. She wanted to get used to her surroundings before she did anything.

"You wanna drink?" said her brunette friend, as he sat next to her.

She shook her head. "I haven't turned completely bad."

"Sure, sure." Tristan said, laughing. "Well, I'm going to go check on the burgers. You sure you don't want anything?" He waited for her to answer. She only shook her head. "Alright, see you later. Thanks for coming."

Sighing, Tea leaned back in her chair. _"So this is Senior Cut Day..." _As she sat there, she felt a small ache in her head. She had felt it this morning, too. She figured a migraine was probably arising due to the loud music. _"Or maybe what goes around comes around..." _She started thinking about the lie she fed the nurse.

It was then she noticed Yami in the distance. He wasn't alone, though. He was laughing with a pretty blonde-haired girl. She felt heat rising to her face. _"What does that girl think she's doing?" _Tea thought, now glaring at the two. But then she came to her senses once she realized that Yami was free to do what he wanted. It wasn't like they were together.

"Maybe I do need a drink..."

* * *

Nearing the beverage table, she didn't notice the being walking in the same direction. As she looked at the selection of drinks, she poured one into a cup and turned around to come face-to-face with Yami. Smiling, she said: "Hi, surprised to see you here."

"Surprised to see you here, too."

Tea laughed, then pulled a piece of hair behind her ear. "Well, let's just say I was between a rock and Joey's hard head." She said, taking another sip of her soda. "So, how long have you been here?"

"Since this morning. I basically drove around and got drinks and food with Tristan."

"I see," Tea said, "well, what are you doing now?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing really, you want to hang out?"

Before she could answer, she saw the blonde-haired girl approach Yami. He turned away from Tea to talk to the girl, but when he turned around to say something to Tea, she was gone.

* * *

_"I can't believe that girl!" _Tea thought, making her way through the crowd. _"She's completely ruining my chances with Yami!" _Now in the front yard, Tea walked to the front step and sat down. She didn't want to be around people anymore. But her attempts failed.

"Tea?"

She lifted her head to meet a pair of brown eyes. "Masa? What do you want?"

"I just.." He sighed, then put a hand behind his head. "I just wanted to say sorry."

Tea was surprised by the words that came out of his mouth. "Well...umm...thanks for saying that. I really appreciate your apology." She then stood up. "How's your nose?"

He chuckled. "Took quite a beating, I'll tell you that." He then looked at his watch. "Well, I'm going to head for the back. I only have a couple of hours here because I have softball practice later. See ya later."

"Bye," Tea said as she watched him walk to the back. "Wow.."

"Turn down another one of your admirers?"

Tea jumped, but recognized the voice. "Mai? What are you doing here?"

"Well," flipping her hair, she continued, "Joey called me yesterday and asked me to come. I decided to take off from Kaiba Corps to come here. I just hope it's worth it, but from your face, it isn't."

"No, I just don't feel that well." She said, massaging her head. She was definitely getting a migraine.

Mai looked at her, concerned. "Do you want me to drive you home?"

"No," shaking her head, she motioned her toward the backyard. "Let's go find Joey."

* * *

"...so I was telling the guy that McDonalds was closed, but he just kept demanding his order. I just gave up after awhile and left the window," a blond voice said, as he told the story to a group of friends. They all shared a good laugh and walked away.

"At least someone thinks you're funny," Mai said as she approached Joey.

He turned around and laughed nervously. "Mai, thanks for coming."

"I suppose someone had to watch you," she said, now folding her arms. "Well, where's the party? All I see is people standing. We need to get this place moving." She looked over her shoulder at Mai. "Come on, Tea! Let's dance!"

Tea stared at her. "Mai...people will be looking at us.."

Mai flicked her wrist. "Psh, don't worry about them. I don't even know them!"

"It's not you I'm worry about...it's me!"

"Come on, you only live once!" She yelled, pulling Tea toward the stereo system. Once there, she looked through the CDs. "There's got to be something that we can dance to! Wait--I think I found something. How about a little Utada Hikaru?"

"Mai...I can't dance here...it's embarrassing..."

Mai stared at Tea. "Since when are you embarrassed to dance?" It was then her eyes shifted past Tea to a skinny, handsome fellow that was clad in black. "Oh, I didn't know _he_ was here. Well, don't worry...I'll show you how to dirty dance!"

Tea blushed. "Let's try not to scare people away, okay?"

* * *

_I've got a song that I want to sing for you_

_At night when you are sleeping_

_Fill your heart with all the things that I say_

_I need to get away_

Mai started swaying her arms in the air to Utada Hikaru's dance song "Traveling". Tea watched, avoiding the stares now coming there way. It was then that Mai grabbed her hands and started moving her around. "Come on Tea," Mai said in a hushed whisper. She then leaned in and added: "He'll love to watch you."

_The clouds I, can feel them, they're soft on, my chin and_

_Look here we're, together, I'm with you, forever_

_I wish we, could leave and our feet could reach the sky_

_Then maybe, just maybe, we could fly, yes too fly_

Tea, giving in to Mai's words, started moving her hips to the rhythm of the song. She was a free spirit when it came to dancing, so she just let the beats move her body to the music. Once she started dancing, everyone got into their little groups and started dancing. "See, it's not that bad!"

Tea laughed, now enjoying herself. "Yeah, I guess you were finally right about something."

"Eh," Mai said, softly nudging her, "why don't you ask Yami to dance?"

"No...I couldn't..."

Mai rolled her eyes. "Watch this," she then moved over to a blond, who happened to be Joey, and pulled him over to an empty space and started dancing with him. She even started touching his chest and his arms as they danced. "You're turn," Mai mouthed as she tilted her head in the direction of Yami.

Tea coughed. _"I can't ask him...he won't want to dance with me..." _She then looked over to Mai and Joey, who were now dancing closely against one another. _"I guess I could try..." _Tossing her hair to one side, she walked toward the once-Pharaoh.

Now in arms-length, she opened her mouth to speak, but his eyes silenced her. "Hey Tea."

"Hey...umm...you.." Her voice pounced nervously off her tongue. She sounded like she was talking in front of a fan. Shaking her feelings aside, she decided to ask him from a friend's point of view. "Do you want to dance?"

"I'm not much of a--"

"Dance with the girl, Yami!" Tristan yelled, from behind the BBQ. "Go out there and show her how to _'Walk like an Egyptian'.." _He added, now chuckling hysterically from the dance reference.

Putting his drink down, he nodded and followed Tea toward the other dancing couples. He was slightly nervous because he knew how good of a dancer Tea was. He, on the other hand, wasn't. He had no rhythm.

_Far away without a reason now_

_Just open your heart--_

_Listen, the wave roll and the lake glistens_

_Aren't you glad that we got away?_

_Aren't you glad that we are here today?_

_Just open you're heart--_

When they found a spot, Tea started dancing, but Yami stood there, not sure what to do. Feeling sorry for the dance-challenged Pharaoh, she took his hands and undulated them back and forth. "That's right, you got it." She let go and watched him move his arms. She tried not to laugh. He looked like he was taking a swimming lesson. "Why don't you try to move your hips?" He gave her a confused stare. "Like this," she demonstrated, moving her hips back and forth.

He tried, but it looked like he needed a life jacket. "Come here," she said, putting both hands on his hips. She tried not to blush. "Just move them back and forth to mine." Once he had it, she let go and let him do his own thing.

She titled her head to see what others were doing. She noticed that Joey and Mai were in a deep conversation...

* * *

"I didn't know you were such a good dancer, Joseph," Mai said, as they danced together.

He laughed. "Nah, I just got a wedgie..." He whispered.

"You really are the charmer, Joseph." She said, with a hint of disgust.

They danced in silence for several moments, that is, until Joey cleared his throat to get Mai's attention again. "What's up?" She asked, looking at him. "You want to sit the next song out?"

"No, I was actually going to ask you somethin'..."

She brought her arms and legs to a stand-still. "Go ahead, hun."

"Well," he scratched his head, nervously, "the Senior prom is in May...and I wanted to know if you wanted to maybe...you know?...umm...go wit me to it." He said, avoiding her eyes.

"Joseph, are you asking me to be your date?"

He coughed loudly. "Somethin' like dat..."

"Well," she leaned toward him and kissed him on the cheek, "I'd love to."

"REALLY...I mean...really?" He said, trying hard not to blush from the kiss she planted on his cheek. He had fallen for Mai Valentine, and it was a dream of his to bring her to the prom. He couldn't believe it was actually coming true.

"Yes, I never went to my Senior prom, so it would interesting to know what I missed."

He nodded, looking toward the food table. "So...you wanna get some grub?"

"Joey, you have a one-track mind..." She then shook her head and followed him toward the BBQ.

* * *

"Wow, you're a quick learner," Tea said, as they danced to another song.

"It's easy when you have a good teacher," he answered, making her blush. "So...I see you were in school," pointing to her uniform, he added: "How did you get out?"

"I just said I was sick. Hopefully they don't notice."

He laughed and danced with her until the song was over. "Do you wanna get a drink?"

"Yeah," she said, "I'm going to sit this song out." Her head was pounding at this point. She knew it was the music, but she could suffer as long as she was with Yami. "Actually, I'm going to use the bathroom," she said, holding her head. "I'll be right back." He nodded and watched her leave.

Meanwhile, Tea walked into Tristan's house and leaned on the wall, mentally exhausted. "I didn't know my migraine was going to get this bad." She tried rubbing the painful area, but it didn't work.

"Tea? Are you alright?" Mai asked, as she closed the sliding door behind her.

"Yeah," she said, "I just have a migraine."

Mai turned Tea around and looked at her. "Hun, I think you should go home. You don't look good at all." She then grabbed her keys from her purse, "I'll drive you home really quick."

"It's okay, I'm--"

"You need to lay down," Mai said, "it will only get worse if you stay here."

Tea nodded. "Alright, but let me say goodbye to Tristan."

"Alright. Then after that, we leave." Mai said, concerned.

Tea nodded.

* * *

Leaning on the car window, Tea felt her head getting worse. "Mai, thanks for driving me home," she whimpered as she watched the cars pass by. "I can't believe this happened to me. I was having so much fun with...Yami..."

"I know," Mai said, "I thought you guys were gonna have a make-out session."

Tea took all her energy to turn around and glare at Mai. "Not funny."

"Ah, you'll laugh about it tomorrow." She then turned the car to the right. "Alright, alright. I'll leave you alone about him ONLY because I have news of my own." Making another right, she looked at Tea and said: "Joey asked me to the prom."

"That's been broadcasted all over the nation already, Mai."

Mai laughed. "Well, I knew he was going to ask me. I just didn't know it would be so soon."

"Tell me, Mai," Tea said, holding her head, "how do you feel about Joey?"

Mai turned left into Tea's driveway and looked at her. "Well, looks like we're here."

"Mai!"

Mai turned her head toward Tea. "He's sweet...but I don't know if I love him.."

"Well," Tea opened her car door, "I think there's a little something going on, but you refuse to let anybody know. Thanks for the ride, Mai, I really appreciate it." Tea then stepped out of the car, leaving Mai deep in thought.

* * *

Mai sighed as she made her way through the crowds of people. _"Joey is just sweet...I don't think I'm in love with him." _Grabbing a chair, she watched the crowds of people dance. _"Joey's the best guy I've ever met, but he's so immature. There's no way I could ever fall for him." _

As she stared at the happy couples, she failed to notice Yami, who was standing next to her. "Oh, hey Yami. What are you doing over here?" she asked, now standing up.

He just shrugged his shoulders. "I was dancing with Tea...but now I can't find her.."

"Oh," Mai mumbled, "I had to take her home because she wasn't feeling well."

"Really? I didn't--"

"ALRIGHT EVERYONE! IT'S TIME TO SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TRISTAN!" Joey shouted as Kaname, Tristan's girlfriend, brought up a big cake that had the number "18" on it. "READY? LET'S GO...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR TRISTAN, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOOOOOOO YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUU!" Joey sang, as everyone encouraged Tristan on to blow out his candles. Once he did, everyone clapped and shouted good sentiments to him.

"That was quick," Yami commented, now looking at his watch. "It's only 1:15"

Mai laughed. "You know Tristan and Joey can't wait for food."

"Yeah, too bad Tea couldn't stay a little bit longer," Yami sympathized.

Mai looked at him from the corner of her eye, smiling. "Maybe you can bring the party to her.."

* * *

Changing into a pair of jeans and a comfortable shirt, Tea took an aspirin and sat on the couch. "Wow, I feel better already." She said, now resting her head against a pillow. "Too bad I couldn't stay...it was getting good..." Sighing, she looked at her watch. "It's about 2:05...I wonder what they're doing now..."

Closing her eyes, she tried to relax, but was interrupted by the sound of the door. "Who could that be?" She asked, as she put her sandals on and walked toward the door. Once peering through the peek hole, she found herself blushing. It was Yami.

Dazed, she opened the door and stared at him, wondering if he was real. "Hi..."

"Hey," he said, "can I come in?"

She nodded and let him in. "What's up?" She asked, closing the door once he was inside.

"I heard you were sick," he said, "so I decided to see if you were okay." He then lifted up a bag. "I also brought some of Tristan's cake, but now I realize that it was a bad idea because you are sick."

She laughed. "Thank you, Yami. I actually feel much better."

"I'm glad."

There was a silence. Tea was busy rubbing her arm nervously, and Yami was concentrating on the floor. "Well, I guess you should be going. I know Tristan and Joey would be lost without you," Tea said as she walked toward the door.

"Yeah," Yami said, following her. Then, he added: "I hope you feel better..."

With every ounce of courage she had, she did the unexpectable. She threw her arms around him and hugged him. "I already do feel better. Thanks for stopping by." She said, finding the same strength to let go.

"Bye.." He said as he walked out the door.

She closed the door and stared down at her hands. _"I...hugged Yami..." _She resisted the urge to squeal as she danced around the room, despite her migraine. She couldn't believe she held the Pharaoh. _"He felt so warm..." _She said, sighing dreamily as she sat on the couch.

Meanwhile, Yami stood on her porch, feeling awkward. The inside of his chest was pounding, almost as if he had run a marathon. As he placed a hand on his chest, he realized what it was.

_It was his heart..._

* * *

To be continued...

(whistles) That was an interesting chapter. I enjoyed the end. Hehehehe. Well, anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. I'll be back next week with another chapter. See you all then. BYE!


	6. Sexy Beast

Disclaimer: Don't own anything...blargh!

Thanks: **Anime-Alee, Ksaturn, (blank), d, merissala, Little Atemu, ANZUXATEM4EVER, Darkhope, XXR.I.PXX, djanime2004, AerinM, Daikaio, Yami/Tea fan, Racegirl, Amazoness Archer, svakee2000, sweetmidnight, killer109, Hysterik-Angel, Luthien-Anwaman, snowmouse, C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only, chibbineko, and Shining Friendship **

A/N(1): Wow, a lot of people want more Seto/Serenity! (falls off chair) Well, just so everyone knows...Jellybob favors Yami/Tea more than any other couple. However, I shall put Seto/Serenity in this chapter along with some more Yami/Tea hints. OH yeah! This chapter is going to rock!

Title: _Just A Night _

Chapter Six: _Sexy Beast_

**April 19, 2005**

"...and so we must start discussing decorations, colors, and the day we will hold the prom. We already know that we will be having a Tokyo skyline," Tea said, looking down at her clipboard. She hated speaking in front of the class, but today, Miho wanted to have another class meeting. Sighing, she looked at the bored class. "Any ideas? Questions?"

There was a silence throughout the class. Finally though, one brave soul lifted her hand. "I have a suggestion. I think we should have prom on a Thursday night because too many proms are held on a Friday night. Then, we have Friday as a day off to chill out and stuff.."

"Alright," Tea said, jotting down the suggestion. "Do we all agree it should be in May?"

"Sure," "Mhm," and "Knock yourself out" were heard throughout the room. Tea took that as a "yes," and looked through her calendar for dates. "Alright, for Thursday, we have the 19th and the 26th. Which one?"

"The 26th sounds good," one guy said in the front row.

"Okay, what about everyone else?" She waited for an answer. Most just moaned or nodded their heads. _'What's so difficult about saying a three-letter word?' _Sighing, she put her clipboard on the table. "Alright, May 26th it is. Now, I have a list here for a prom decorating committee, music committee, and picture committee. On your way out, please sign up for one or as many as you want. Have a nice day."

Sitting down, she looked at her fellow Student Council members. "Some meeting..." She then looked at her watch. It read ten minutes to three. School ended at three o'clock. The only thing she loved about class meeting today was that it was at the end of the day. She could then go home and go to sleep.

"Hey Tea, can I talk to you for a second?"

Tea broke out of her daze to see Serenity standing over her. "Hey Serenity, what's up?"

"Mai just called me," Serenity said, "she wants to hit the mall and check out some prom dresses. Do you want to come?" She flipped her hair to one side and looked at Tea.

_'So much for sleep,' _Tea thought, now fitting her bookbag over her shoulder. "Umm...sure. Is she going to pick us up? Or are we going to meet?" She asked, curiously.

"She's actually here already," Serenity said with a laugh. "Are you done here?"

Tea nodded, a little surprised. "Sure, let's go.

* * *

"So, you're going to the prom with Seto Kaiba?" Mai asked, eyes glancing over to Serenity, who was sitting in the pasenger's seat of her car. She still couldn't believe that Serenity was dating her cold-hearted boss.

"Yes," Serenity answered, "believe me, he's very sweet once you get to know him.."

Tea looked at Mai through the rearview mirror. They both burst out in laughter. "I've known Kaiba since Duelist Kingdom, Serenity. I haven't seen that man smile--wait, he _did _smile once. But that was only because he had Joey on his knees during a duel." Mai exclaimed.

Serenity frowned, crossing her arms. "I'm telling you. He's sweet."

"Alright, alright," Mai said. "So, how did you guys...get together?"

Serenity smiled. "Remember when I had that job at Fry World over the summer? Well..."

_"Wheeler! Table 3 needs to be served!" _

_Fixing her uniform skirt, Serenity grabbed a pen and pad and ran over to the table. This was her first week at Fry World, and her boss already hated her for dropping plates, drinks, and ruining a customer's order. 'It's not my fault I'm partially blind,' Serenity thought, nearing her next customer._

_"Welcome to Fry World, your one and only stop in Domino!" Serenity said, echoing Fry World's motto. "How can I help you...?" She looked down at the two people sitting at the table. One had scruffy hair and looked about eleven, while the other one looked about two years older than her with brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes. _

_Though she hadn't seen them in a year, she recognized the two immediately. They were Mokuba and Seto Kaiba, the most-known people in Domino. 'Don't screw this order, Serenity. You'll be fired for sure. You need this money..' she thought to herself. _

_"Your special--and tell the chef no onions. Mokuba, what do you want?"_

_Mokuba looked up at Serenity. "Hi Serenity! Um...I'll have the...uhh...what's your favorite thing to eat on this menu, Serenity?" He asked, sweetly. She blushed and looked over Kaiba's shoulder at the menu. _

_"Well...I'm a vegetarian now. Most of these things wouldn't apply to me." _

_"What's a--?" _

_Before Mokuba could finish his question, Serenity's boss came up from behind her and glared. "Did you take these people's orders, Wheeler?" he yelled, in his French accent. Kaiba watched the scene through his ears. _

_"I was just--" _

_"I don't pay you to chat with les garcons! Take their orders! Maintenant!" _

_She flinched as he walked toward the kitchen. "Mokuba, can I get your order?" She asked._

_"Serenity!" Mokuba got out of his booth. Then, he said: "Why do you let that guy treat you like that? I'm going to go talk to that guy and--" _

_"No," Serenity said, holding him back. "It's fine. He's my boss." She looked down at her pad. "Why don't I give you some time to think. I'll get you two some water." She said, now walking away quickly. She didn't realize Kaiba's eyes were following her, sympathizing. _

_With two glasses on a platter-like plate, Serenity walked toward Table 3 again. Once there, she gave her trademark smile and picked one cup up. Resting it on the table, she tried to grab the other one, but the platter flipped over, throwing the other cup onto the floor. 'Oh no...' she thought, quickly picking the cup off the floor. "I'm very sorry, I'm just very clumsy today." She said. Luckily there weren't a lot of people to see the incident. _

_"Wheeler!" _

_"Oh no..." she whispered, but enough for Kaiba to hear. _

_"What are you doing to my glasses?" Her boss yelled standing over her. "This is definitely coming out of your paycheck! I can't have scratched glasses to serve to my customers!" _

_"I'm sorry--" _

_"Excuse me," Kaiba said, standing up, "it was me who dropped the glass." _

Mai looked at Serenity. "Whoa...wait a minute? Kaiba...covered for someone?" She interrupted, now looking at Tea, who was shrugging her shoulders. Mai then looked at Serenity.

"I'll explain...just give me a minute.." Serenity said, with a laugh.

Mai nodded and listened to Serenity's story again...

_Her boss looked at Serenity, then Kaiba. "Don't cover up for her, Seto Kaiba. I saw the whole thing from the kitchen. Now, don't do it again, Wheeler. Or you will be fired!" He then walked away, fuming. _

_Serenity's head lowered, sadly. _

_"Why do you take that from him?" Mokuba asked, angrily. _

_"I...need the money to pay for my airplane fare to visit my mother in America. She's very sick, and I need the money soon." She said, letting out a sigh. She hated working here, but it was only place she could find that hired people under 18. _

_"Let's go, Mokuba." Kaiba said, standing up. _

_"Wait!" Serenity said, "I'm sorry for--" _

_Kaiba turned to look at her. "Listen, I'm not going to sit here and listen to you. You shouldn't let that guy treat you like this. Here," he searched through his pocket and took out his wallet. "Here's for the meal and some extra change. Later." _

_Serenity looked down at her palm. "Extra change..?" She looked through the dollar bills to see he gave her three extra hundreds. Her eyes widened. She was holding $300 dollars in her hand. "That's..." She looked out the window to see him getting into her car. "...enough for air fare. Why..?" _

_"Wheeler!" _

_She jumped, then quickly put the three hundred dollars away. "Yes sir?" _

_"Why are you standing around? Didn't I tell you before that--" _

_"Actually, I was just leaving," Serenity said, taking off her apron. _

_"Vat are you saying?" He asked, his French accent more lively than ever. _

_Serenity smiled. "I quit." _

"You quit!" Tea and Mai exclaimed, now looking at Serenity.

Serenity laughed, nervously. "Well, what would you do?"

Tea and Mai nodded in agreement. "So, what happened after that? Did you go to Kaiba's mansion? Or did you two meet up again in school?" Mai asked, now entering the mall's parking lot.

"Actually, later in the day...I did decide to visit him. I wanted to know why he gave so much money to an absolute stranger. It didn't make sense to me." Serenity said, locking some hair behind her ear.

"Ooooh...so what happened?" asked Mai, curiosity embedded in her voice.

Serenity laughed. "Well..."

_"What are you doing here?" Kaiba asked, looking at the orange-haired girl before him. _

_"I...wanted to know why you gave me this," she said, taking out the money. _

_"Come now," the blue-eyed business said, "now you want an explanation for my actions? A simple 'thank you' would suffice." As he spoke, he didn't seem like the regular Kaiba she heard stories about from her brother. _

_"I'm sorry for not being grateful." Frowning, she lowered her head. "I just can't accept your money unless I know why it was given to me. Forgive me."_

_The ice in his eyes melted slightly at the girl before him. "Come in, it's getting dark." He said, not answering her question directly. He liked this girl. She was honest, not like the many people in the corrupt world he lived in. _

_As he closed the door behind her, he led her into the living room, where he asked her to have a seat. She couldn't help but gape in awe at the splendor of the room. She wasn't used to this type of extravagance. She was raised in a poor neighborhood, and was poor herself. _

_"The reason I gave you the money is simple," he started. Then, taking a sigh, he continued: "Money is nothing to me anymore. I'd rather give it to you for your valiant reasons than give it to a corrupt charity." _

_She looked at him. "Thank you, Kaiba, but--" _

_"Just take the money. Would you rather beg for your job back?" _

_"How did you know I quit?" _

_Kaiba laughed. "You're very smart--unlike your dimwit brother." _

_She tried not to laugh, but did let out a soft chuckle. After they talked for a good ten minutes, Serenity looked at her watch and frowned. "I better get going. I have to tell Joey what happened." _

_Kaiba frowned. He wanted her to stay. He never had anyone near his age to talk to around here. Everyone else at Kaiba Corps and even in his house looked dead. She looked alive, fresh with enthusiasm. "I enjoyed our little chat." He mumbled, trying not to sound too un-Kaiba. _

_She smiled warmly. "I have heard many things about you from my brother. Most of them are not good." She said, as he let out a "hmph". She continued: "I have always depended on my ears, not my eyes, to describe a person. To me, you sound rather genuine. You speak from your mind, and you're not afraid to tell people what they need to hear. I now consider you a friend, even if my brother doesn't agree." She stood up._

_He stood as well. "Do you want to come over...again?" _

_"That would be nice," Serenity smiled, "thank you again, Kaiba." _

"Wow, I would have never guessed," Mai said, getting out the car. "He's such a prick."

Tea casted Mai a "shut up" glance. "What Mai means is that Kaiba isn't as warm to others as he is to you. It was actually interesting to see him warm up to you so fast. That's such a nice story."

"Yeah...something along those lines..." Mai said, receiving a nudge from Tea as they walked toward Mai's favorite place in the world--the mall.

* * *

"SETO! I want to go in this store!" a scruffy-haired boy yelled, in a spoiled tone.

The older sibling shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever Mokuba. As long as I get back for my meeting at six o'clock." He said, now staring at his watch. "You got three more hours."

"That's plenty of time! Let's go!" Mokuba said, dragging his brother into a toy store. "Hey--_wait_! Look over there! Is that your girlfriend?" He pointed over to a girl with a blond and a brunette.

Kaiba's neck craned in the direction Mokuba was pointing to. He blushed. "Yes...that is...Serenity.."

"Hahaha...Seto and Serenity sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Seto glared at Mokuba, unamused. "Hey look, isn't that your girlfriend?" He pointed to Tea.

"No," Mokuba flushed, "that was a looong time ago, big brother. She's with Yami now."

Seto stopped in his tracks. "Gardner and Yami?"

"Yup," Mokuba said, now looking at the three girls. "Tristan told me she wants to jump his bones or something like that..." Mokuba said, causing Kaiba's mouth to drop open.

"Mokuba! Don't ever let me catch you saying that again!"

Mokuba stared at Kaiba. "...what did I say?"

* * *

"AWWW! Let's check out this store!" Mai exclaimed, dragging her two friends into a small store that had modern music blaring inside. "I have to check out that black one in the window!"

Now in the store, Mai looked at the tags to the dresses. "Oh Tea! This would fit you perfectly!" Tea stared at the dress. It was a black, strapless dress with a slit that ran up to the thigh. It had little beads embedded around the cleavage area and the back of it had almost no material to cover the back.

"Mai, I got two questions on this dress. One: Did a dog eat half of the dress? And two: Do you think I can actually fit my toe in it?" She asked, staring at the dress awkwardly. Mai laughed.

"Come on, try it on at least!"

Tea shook her head. "No way...let's try another store..."

"Fine," Mai said, putting the dress back on the rack.

They walked out of the store and into another one...

"Let's split up...and find each other when we find something..." Serenity suggested, as they all nodded. Now alone, Serenity looked through the many selections of prom dresses. She had this strange feeling she was being watched, though..

* * *

"Seto, why are we in the underwear section?"

Kaiba looked at Mokuba. "Listen, why don't you go upstairs and buy some of those Duel Monster card shirts you like so much. Here's some money." He said, giving Mokuba some money. Mokuba shrugged, leaving Kaiba to the women's underwear.

"Let me see...what dress is she looking at?" Squinting his eyes, he watched Serenity pull out a light green dress. She stared at it for a minute, smiling. But when she looked at the tag, she sighed, putting it back. Leaning forward to see the dress, he put his hand on the bra rack for balance.

"AGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH! PERVERT!"

"Wha--?"

Before he could turn around to look at the scream, he was smacked in the head with a very heavy purse. "Whoa!" Smack. "Lady!" Smack. "What do you--?" Smack. "--have in there?" Smack. Smack. Smack. Moving away, Kaiba tried to shield himself with anything he could find. He pulled out a wire-rimmed bra.

"PERVERT! HENTAI!" He could hear two sets of feet approaching.

"Let's get him with pepper spray, girls!"

"Oh crap..." Turning around, he rushed out the section and toward the escalator. "Wow...that was close.." As he put his hand down on the railing, he felt something warm, rather than the rubbery feel of the railing. As he looked down, he noticed a hand under his. "What..?"

Before he could turn around, he heard a seductive voice of a male behind him whisper "Hello cutie.."

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

Serenity looked at the group of women now forming together in the distance. "I wonder what's that all about.." Before she could go over to check, she heard Mai and Tea calling her over. She waved and came over.

"What's up?"

"Look at the dress Mai found!" Tea exclaimed, lifting up the dress. It was a lavender-tinted dress with silver sparkles dotted around. The neckline shaped into a low V, but it wasn't slutty. The end of the dress puffed out a little bit, but in a elegant fashion.

"Wow...it looks...conservative..." Serenity whispered.

Mai laughed. "I know, I know! Wouldn't want to distract any other guys from their dates!"

"Did you try it on?" Serenity asked.

"No, not yet," Mai said, "but I will now...you guys coming?"

They nodded and followed her toward the changing rooms.

* * *

With Mai in one of the changing stalls, Serenity turned to Tea and asked: "So, did you find anything? I saw a couple of blue dresses that matched your eyes."

Tea shook her head. "I couldn't really find anything..."

"Oh well," Serenity paused for a minute. "Do you know who you're going with?"

Tea coughed. "Not exactly..."

"You want to go with Yami, right?"

Tea nodded, slightly embarrassed. "It's always been a dream of mine to go with somebody I really like. I hate the girls that ask out random guys to go with them, and then...they don't even hang around them during the prom."

"When are you going to ask him?"

Before she could answer, she heard Mai's muffled voice in the stall say: "Yeah, when are you going to ask him? Bakura's ass aint getting any bigger!"

Tea blushed. "I don't know...I'm...scared..."

"Scared?" Serenity asked. "Everyone is a little scared when they're asking someone to the prom. I know you got it in you to ask him. Believe me, if you really want to go with him...you'll ask him."

Tea nodded. "You're right, but...I don't know when to ask him."

"Hmm..." Serenity said, putting her finger to her chin. "I got it! Tomorrow is going to be a really nice day. Why don't we all go to the park and have a picnic or something? I think it would be fun!"

"It's kind of short notice.." Tea said.

"Alright then, how about Sunday? We'll call everybody tonight and plan it for Sunday. Does that sound reasonable?" Serenity asked, now flashing an excited smile. She would also ask Kaiba if he wanted to go to the prom with her.

"Let's do it!" Mai said, opening the stall door. The dress looked beautiful on her. It was definitely meant for Mai, and Mai alone. Serenity gave a thumbs-up, while Tea nodded in agreement.

"Definitely get it, Mai!" Serenity voiced her opinion.

Mai nodded. "Oh yeah, this dress is gonna send Joey for a trip!"

"Oh?" Tea asked, batting her eyelashes. "I thought you didn't care what Joey thought about you because you didn't like him anyway.." She then smirked maliciously at her friend.

Mai cleared her throat. "Well..."

Tea patted her friend on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Serenity and I already know about your feelings for Joey."

* * *

"Wow Seto, what happened to you?"

Kaiba growled. "Nothing. Listen, are you ready to go?"

Mokuba nodded, pointing to a large bag he was carrying. "Got a couple of shirts. Look, I even got one for you!" Searching through the bag, he pulled out a black t-shirt with a tiny BEWD near the left corner. He handed it to Kaiba.

"Thanks Mokuba, it looks..."

"Ooooh...seductive...you sexy beast, you!" A voice said from behind.

Kaiba swallowed hard at the voice he also heard on the escalator. "Thanks," he said to the guy, now turning around with Mokuba in his grasp.

"Who was that, Seto?"

Kaiba frowned. "Nobody, Mokuba. Nobody."

* * *

Now on the first floor, Kaiba was heading for the exit when he realized something. "That dress...Serenity really liked that dress..." Making a total 360 turn, he went into the misses department and searched for the green dress.

"Big brother, what are we doing?"

"Give me a second, Mokie, I'm looking for something for Serenity."

"Ooooooooh..."

Ignoring his brother's statement, he looked for the green dress. "Where is it?" Turning around, he looked through another rack. "It was right...there it is!" Taking the dress off the rack, he stared at it for a minute. "Nice dress.."

"Seto! Come on! I wanna check out the arcade!"

"Alright," Kaiba said, "let me just pay for this.." Walking toward the cash register, he took out his wallet and waited for the cashier to call him over.

"NEXT!" the cashier yelled for the next customer to come over.

Kaiba put the dress on top for her to scan.

"How are you doing today, sir?" she asked, not really caring. It was her job to ask the question to every customer. Once she scanned the item, she said the price. He paid her. She looked up to say "have a nice day" with his receipt, but she was taken back.

He cocked an eyebrow up. "Yes?"

"You look familiar..."

Kaiba nodded his head. He WAS the wealthiest man in Japan. "Well..."

"Wait a minute...you're the guy from the lingerie section!"

Kaiba's eyes widened. "What?"

"Seto, what is she talking about?" Mokuba asked, looking at his brother.

"Umm...Mokuba...maybe we should go..."

"What?" his brother asked, confused. "Go where?"

"SECURITY!" The woman yelled at the top of her lungs. "It's the hentai!"

"Just go!" Kaiba said, running toward the exit.

"GET HIM! PERVERT! HENTAI!"

* * *

To be continued...

Hahaha. Wow, can you imagine? Kaiba? A pervert? LOL. Well, stay tuned for the next chapter. Every couple is in the next chapter. Don't you worry! It's gonna be packed! WOOOOOOO!


	7. Questions and Answers

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO, McDonalds, Utada Hikaru, and uhh...yeah...the list goes on..

A/N(1): All couples in this chapter. This should be interesting, eh? Will chaos ensue?

Title: _Just A Night_

Chapter Seven: _Questions and Answers_

**April 21, 2005**

Yawning softly, Serenity threw the sheets off her fragile form and headed for the front door. For some reason, her doorbell had rung three times and no one had bothered to answer the door. "Joey!" she yelled, glancing into his room. He wasn't there. _'Probably at Yami's apartment,' _she thought, realizing that he's been over there a lot lately. She was going to head for her father's room, but knew he wasn't there. He worked mornings and didn't come home until they came home from school.

Now at the front door, she looked through the peep hole to see who it was. No one. "Was it just my imagination?" she questioned aloud. "Maybe I should check just in case." Straightening her hair and ironing her clothes with her hands, she cracked the door open. Still no one. _'Wait...' _

As her eyes drifted lower, she noticed a white package sitting on the welcome mat just outside their door. Stepping outside the door, she bent down and picked the package up. It was fairly light, not to mention too decorative for Joey or her dad's taste. Lifting the top of the box, her eyes landed on a piece of paper that had her name inscribed on it. _'Well...at least I know it's for me...' _

Putting the card aside, her attention averted to the tissue paper that separated her from knowing who sent her this mysterious package. Pealing the tissue paper away from the contents of the box, something green glinted off her eyes. _'Green?' _Hands now on the green material inside the box, she pulled it out and let the box fall to the floor. Reassorting what went where, her eyes flashed confusion. **It was the dress she had seen at the mall! **

But how...

It was then the corner of her eye noticed a car pull up, blocking her driveway. Lifting her head, she stared at the myserious, black car. She grew slightly nervous, but it doubled when she heard the driver's car door swing open. _'Maybe it's just...Seto!' _Her eyes brightened once she caught his blue eyes in her emerald orbs.

"Hey..." He said, walking up her driveway.

She looked at the dress, then back at Kaiba Corps' owner. "How did you know--?"

His laugh interrupted her question. "You really don't want to know what I went through to get you that dress," he said, pointing to a small bruise near his temple. She grimaced, then opened her mouth to say something but was hushed by Kaiba. "So, will you go to prom with me?"

Her mouth dropped open. She thought that she was going to be the one to ask him (even though it wasn't her prom to go to). "I..." Her eyes stared into his, smiling warmly. "I would love to go."

He grinned. "Great," kissing her on the forehead, he headed back to his car. She figured he had a meeting to get to, but he came back with a basket and a blanket. "Ready for the picnic?"

"It's not for another two hours, Seto."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Why don't you and I start things a little earlier?" He then threw the blanket on top of the grass and sat down. "You coming over, Seren?"

She blushed. "Seto, you are really...the best..."

* * *

"OH MAN, JOEY!" Tristan yelled, smacking his best friend with a pillow, while holding his nose.

For the past few weeks, Tristan and Joey had been hanging around Yami's apartment because the three of them have grown inseparable. Plus, Yami had the biggest place out of the three of them, so they liked crashing in his apartment.

At the moment, Tristan and Yami woke up to the unplesant smell of yesterday's burritos and chili that was let loose by Joey, who was still sleeping soundly. "DUDE! SICK!" Tristan shouted, finally causing Joey to stir.

"...wud happened?"

Tristan, who was still holding his nose, answered: "You cut the cheese...big time!"

"More like bean and cheese burrito..." Yami added, fanning the air.

Joey blushed, embarrassed. "Must have been dreaming about Bakura's ass or something..." They all let out a heap of laughter, then got up and stretched from sleeping on the floor due to their late night watching of some movie Joey brought over.

"I'm so tired," Tristan yawned, "and today we got that picnic. Lemme go call Kaname."

Joey smirked. "You'll call her alright...just don't make-out with the phone, okay?"

Taking out his cell phone, Tristan stuck out his tongue and left the room. Joey laughed, then looked at his other friend. "Hey Yami, any of your fan girls ask you to go the prom yet?"

Yami immediately blushed. "No...not really..."

"Well," he said, "who ya gonna go with?"

"I probably won't go..."

"Psh, only wankers stay at home. You need a date." Putting a finger to his chin, he pretended to be thinking, but he already had somebody in mind. "What about Tea? I'm sure she would go with you."

Yami slightly flustered. "I...um...couldn't go with Tea."

"Why the heck not? You've known her for like...ever.."

Yami nodded, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "That's exactly why I can't ask her. I overheard her talking to Kaname the other day...and she wants to go with somebody she loves and wants to go to the prom with."

_'Duh...she's talking about you...' _Joey thought, rolling his eyes at Yami's stupidity. "Well, I still think you should take the chance and ask her. You never know what her answer will be."

He shrugged his shoulders, trying hard to avoid the subject. Ever since he left Kaiba Corps, he's been feeling strange around Tea. He didn't know what it was, or what to make of it. "Come on, let's get some breakfast."

* * *

Tea stared down at her cereal bowl, rather unconcerned by the contents in it. Her real concern rested with the picnic that was taking place this afternoon. "I don't know if I can do this," she said aloud, though not realizing she did.

"Do what?" Her mom, who was putting groceries away, asked.

Tea looked up at her mom,surprised. "Nothing..."

"Is it about the picnic you're having this afternoon? Why wouldn't you go?"

"Mom, it's nothing," Tea said.

Her mom closed the cabinet, then looked at Tea. "Will a boy be there?" Tea blushed. Her mom smiled inwardly. "And are you trying to ask him to the prom?" Tea blushed harder. She hated when her mom always knew what was going on in her life. "Well, the only way you can go with him is to ask."

Tea thought about her mother's response for a minute. "Yeah, you're right." Standing up, she rinsed her bowl in the sink and walked out of the kitchen, toward the front door. She needed some fresh air to cleanse her thoughts.

_'There's just too much stress nowadays..' _She said, sitting on her porch. _'Yami seems so...out of my reach now. Is there a chance I'll be able to ask him?' _She put her face in her hands, hopelessly.

* * *

"How do you get this thang up?" Joey asked, looking at the assorted pieces of tubes in front of him. Yami, Tristan, and him came to the park early so they could put a volleyball net up and set up for the picnic. "None of this makes sense!" Joey yelled, smacking the piece of paper in front of him.

"Why don't you try the English directions," Tristan commented.

Joey froze, embarrassed. "Ohh..heh..."

"Hmph. Like I said before, men are only good for moving furniture and fixing cars."

Joey scowled, then looked up to see Mai staring down at him. Though infuriated by her remark, her face melted away the anger. She was a rose, but definitely had a few thorns. "Mai...don't you have something better to do?"

"Come on, Joseph," she said, "who else am I going to laugh at?"

Ignoring Mai, Joey continued to piece the stand to the volleyball net together. She sighed, then kneeled down to his eye-level. "Do you need help?"

Surprised, Joey cocked an eyebrow up. "You? Help? Where's my camera!" He exclaimed. She nudged him roughly into the ground. "Hahaha...Mai...helping..." He laughed, making her stand up and walk away. "Wait! Mai! I wuz just playin'! Come back!"

"Nope. I try to be nice, but you don't appreciate it." She said, not looking back.

He grabbed her by the arm and turned her around. They were now facing each other, fairly close. "I do appreciate you being nice, Mai. I wuz just being.."

"You." Mai finished, looking away from his eyes.

Joey nodded, scratching his cheek. "Well...who else would I be? No one is this good-looking, right?" He went on to strike the "Joseph Wheeler" pose, but only received mixed reviews from the judges--Yami and Tristan, who were snickering amongst themselves. "They're just jealous." There was a silence between him and Mai. Then, "You know, if you were a meat, you'd be my _prime_ rib."

_Cough._ "Lame" _Cough. _

Joey glanced over at his friends, then back at Mai. She shared his friends' distaste for the pick-up line. "Hey, I was just trying to make you laugh. I wanted this to be a good day**...for the both of us**."

Mai blinked. "Joey--"

"Hold that thought. Rich boy and Serenity are here."

Walking past her, Mai, meanwhile, sighed and rubbed her temple. _"We're not going out. I'm just his escort for prom. That's it...right? Mai, stop. Don't think like that. You can't think like that. Not with Joey." _

* * *

"_Oh look_...your brother escaped from the pound again." A cold voice commented.

"Very funny, Kaiba," Joey commented, then looked at his sister, "Serenity, how are you? I see the sanitation workers didn't pick up the garbage this morning." He grinned maliciously at Kaiba.

"Joey..." Serenity mumbled, frowning.

The blond duelist put up his hands defensively and exclaimed: "He started it!" like a five-year-old. Serenity only shook her head, walking past him to give picnic supplies to Tristan.

"Why don't you keep your mouth shut next time, rich boy." Joey said, angrily.

"Don't reprimand me. Keep your muzzle on next time."

Growling, Joey stormed away. Kaiba smirked, but frowned again once he noticed that he wasn't alone. "Yami. To what do I owe this honor?"

Yami smirked. "Hello Kaiba."

Kaiba made a "hmph" noise, then smiled once he saw Serenity walk over. "See you around, Pharaoh. Try not to break into anybody's property." He added, reminding Yami of the time Joey, Tristan and him trespassed on his estate.

"What a jerk!" Joey said, walking toward Yami with two glasses of soda. He handed one to Yami, then took a sip out of his. "Can't believe I let Serenity talk me into this boyfriend thing." He shuddered. "Well anyway, hope Tea and Kaname show up soon. I want to get the BBQ started."

"You brought a BBQ...?" Yami asked, confused.

"Wha? Heck yeah. I brought a BBQ, mini refrigerator, fold-out table, recliners..." Yami tuned out Joey once he saw a brunette walk toward the picnic area. His stomach tightened.

"Hi guys, sorry I'm late."

Yami cleared his throat to speak, but Tristan beat him to it. "Ah, we pretty much arrived at the same time. Now we're only waiting on Kaname."

"Here!" Kaname yelled, carrying a bag in her hand.

"Kaname!" Tristan said, running over to her.

This left Yami and Tea **alone.**

"It's a nice day for a picnic," Tea said, breaking the silence. "Have you ever been on a picnic?"

"Me? No, it's my first time."

Before Tea could answer, Joey came into their conversation, eyes widening out of their sockets. "Whoa! Is it safe to enter this conversation? And I thought you two were shy of one another! I knew you two were acting. Wow, I'm just happy I don't have to play matchmaker anymore."

Tea, blushing, eyed Joey. "What...are you talking about!"

"Don't act innocent now, I already heard from Yami that it was his 'first time'."

"Yeah," Tea said, "first time _ON A PICNIC_!" She shouted, still blushing. She couldn't believe Joey spilled the beans about her being shy around Yami. _'Wait...he said we were both shy...could that mean...?' _

"Ohh...heh...yeah...I'm going to...uhh...start cooking now...uh...BYE!" As he ran toward the grill, Tea had the sudden urge to grab him and strangle him, but resisted. She had to play it cool around Yami. There was still hope that he didn't know her feelings for him.

"Wow, that was...interesting." Yami said, scratching the back of his head. He was quite unsure what went down, but from what he got out of it, Joey thought Tea and him were_...together_. He swallowed hard.

"Yes, he really has some imagination." Tea said, her eyes now wandering around the park. She was trying to avoid Yami's eyes, and the conversation that went down several minutes ago. "Do you wanna take a walk around the park with me?"

He nodded. "Let's just hope there's food left when we get back."

* * *

Now putting food on the BBQ, Joey pulled on his collar nervously. He hoped he didn't mess up things for Yami and Tea. All he was doing was trying to help.

"What did you do now?"

Joey's eyes shifted to Mai Valentine's face. "Oh...uhh..nothing..."

"Joseph Wheeler, I know when you're lying." She moved closer to him. "What did you do? Or what are you planning to do?" Crossing her arms, she waited for an answer.

Joey had to think quick. He couldn't tell Mai that he _may _have messed up things for Yami and Tea. Mai, herself, had been trying to get Yami and Tea together. "Well, Joseph? You know I'll get it out of you...even by force.."

"Well...uhh..." Time was running out. He had to think of something. "Uhh..." That's when a light bulb appeared above his head. "Hey Mai, nice-looking ass." He then went on to put a hand on her butt.

Mai's face turned bright red. "JOSEPH! YOU PERV!"

"Uh-oh...um...Tristan made me do it!" Then, running toward the parking lot, Joey hoped that he had kept a good distance from Mai. He was wrong. She was right behind him. "It was a joke, Mai! Please, stop chasing meeeeeeeeeee!"

* * *

"Did you hear something?" Kaiba said, looking around.

Serenity shrugged her shoulders. "Sounds like a dog...or a puppy.."

Sighing, Kaiba put a hand on top of Serenity's and continued to gaze at the lake, just a few feet ahead of them. "This is really peaceful. Thanks for asking me to come."

Planting a kiss on his cheek, she moved behind him and started massaging his shoulders. "You're too tense. You need to stop stressing over this company of yours. You know it's a successful."

"I'm just making sure it stays successful," Kaiba said, closing his eyes, "but that doesn't mean I don't stress over you either." He turned around and looked into her eyes. Her emerald eyes relaxed in his ocean of blue.

Then, their lips were close to locking when...

"YO! COME AND EAT!"

Serenity immediately rose, followed by Kaiba, who hung his head from missing a kiss from Serenity. It would have been their first lip-lock. "Great, now instead I get to enjoy dork fest..."

* * *

After the four couples ate lunch, they all decided to go on a boat ride--two to each boat. Going their separate ways, the couples bunched into their boats and used the pedals inside to move the boat through the water.

"Wow, I _feel_ the burn! This is better than my Richard Simmons' workout tape!" Joey yelled, pedaling along side his partner, Mai. He knew she was still made about the groping incident, so he tried to lighten the mood with his jokes. He hoped they worked.

"Ew...this lake is digusting..."

_Apparently not. _"Lighten up, Mai. If you were a booger, I'd pick you first."

"Don't make me throw you off this thing..."

* * *

"This is so beautiful..." Tea said as she leaned back in her seat.

Yami just nodded. "Yeah...beautiful..."

Dazed, Tea glanced over at Yami. She had the sudden confidence to ask him to the prom. She didn't know what came over her, but she knew that she better get it out before she backed out. "Umm...Yami...I've been meaning to ask you..."

"Yes, Tea?"

His voice sent shivers down her spine. "The prom is...coming up soon...and I don't have a date yet, so," she looked into his eyes, "I was wondering if you wanted to go with me..."

_Crap. _She couldn't believe she asked him. How stupid could she be? It didn't matter now. All she could do now was wait for a response and pray that she wouldn't regret asking him.

Yami's eyes averted to the bottom of the boat. He couldn't look at her. His heart was pounding and his cheeks were heating up. He couldn't reveal that he liked her. It was too soon. He had to see if she liked him, too. "I don't think I'm going to the prom, Tea." He spit out, not realizing how hurtful it sounded. "I'm sorry."

Tea's eyes started to sting. _'Don't cry...he didn't exactly turn you down...he's just not going...' _Swallowing her unshed tears, she nodded and put on a smile. "Don't worry about it! It's fine!" Then, turning away, she felt her eyelids moistening. _'Tea...don't cry. It's okay. Don't cry.' _It was then a tear slid down her cheek. _'No...stop...not here...' _She tried to wipe it away, but more followed.

"Tea? Are you--"

"BUMPER BOATS!" a voice yelled as Tea and Yami were thrown to the side of the boat due to a rather heavy thrust from another boat. Yami turned his head to see Joey waving at them from his boat.

"Joey, I hope you didn't...oh no..."

Tea looked at Yami, then at what he was looking at. There was a hole in their boat due to Joey's "bumpering" of his boat against theirs. "JOEY!"

* * *

"What's going on over there?" Serenity asked.

"Psh, who knows? Probably a dork party." Kaiba replied.

Shrugging her shoulders, Serenity put her head back on Kaiba's shoulder and closed her eyes.

* * *

"OH RA!" Yami yelled as he scooped water into his hand and threw it over the boat. His efforts were useless. The more water he scooped out, the more water occupied the boat."The boat is filling really quickly!"

"Come on, Yami, we have to get into Joey's boat!"

Standing up, she grabbed on to Joey's boat and swung her legs over. Once she was fully in the boat, she looked over at Yami, who was now sinking with the boat.

"Yami!"

* * *

"Did you hear that?"

Kaname looked at Tristan. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, maybe it was just my heart beating your name..."

She blushed and nudged him softly. "You and Joey really need to get new pick-up lines."

* * *

"Come on, buddy!" Joey yelled, as he held his hand out. Yami grabbed it quickly, and was pulled into the still-floating boat. "Alright, that was a close one." Wiping his forehead, he saw Tea, Mai, and Yami glaring at him.

"What can I say? Bumper boats is a dangerous sport!"

Though recovering from their almost-going-sinking-with-their-boat experience, Tea cracked a smile and started laughing. It was either her own insanity or just the humor in Joey actually poking a hole into a public boat.

Yami followed in her laughter, but Mai only sat there with her arms folded and watched the last of the boat sink into the water. "Come on, Mai," Joey started. Then, "you have to admit it was kind of funny..."

Mai shook her head. "Just you being stupid is all."

Smiling, Joey scooted next to Mai and tapped her shoulder. "Hey Mai...my name isn't Elmo...but you can tickle me anytime you want..."

Turning her head, Mai pushed him roughly to the edge of the boat. Yami and Tea also were thrusted toward the side. With the excess weight, the boat immediately flipped over, casting everyone overboard and into the water.

_Sploosh. Splash. Sploosh. Splash._

"AHHH!" Tea yelled, now resurfacing with the others. "It's frrrrrEEzing!"

"EWWWWWWWW! SEAWEED!" yelled Mai, splashing around herself.

Yami and Joey both shared similar words as they splashed around, looking for the boat, or something to grab onto. "There's the boat!" Joey yelled as him and Yami moved toward it. "Let's flip it over and get everyone in!"

Obeying Joey's orders, Yami helped Joey flip the boat over. "Alright, come on!"

Mai and Tea moved toward the boat. Joey was the first to get in, followed by Tea, Mai, and Yami. Once they were all settled in the boat, they all looked at one another, obviously perplexed by their streak of bad luck. Though silent, they were all in their own worlds.

Joey: _"Wow, at least they can't blame this day **all **on me." _

Mai: _"So much for wearing designer..." _

Tea: _"I think I have seaweed in places I never knew existed.." _

Yami: _"I hope my duel deck isn't wet..." _

Still trapped in their thoughts, they didn't notice the boat pull up next to them. It was a very shocked Serenity and a very amused Kaiba. "Hey," Kaiba started, looking at the four of them. "How's the water?"

* * *

"That's it...I'm going home and changing..." Mai said, once they reached shore. "Thanks for inviting me, but no thanks." She then threw her hair to one side and waved.

Tea nodded. "I'm with Mai. I'll just bring home whatever is mine and I'll see you guys in school. Sorry we weren't able to play volleyball or anything. I know you worked hard to put it together, Joey."

"I know, reading Spanish directions wasn't easy," he commented. Then, seriously, he answered: "I'll see you guys on Monday. Yami and I are going to chill by the lake. Hopefully we'll dry in an hour or so."

Tea laughed, then waved off. "Bye guys! Have fun..."

Serenity and Seto were the second pair to leave. Joey was happy, yet sad to see his sister go. "Well, now it's just the four of us." He looked over to see Kaname and Tristan making-out. "Alright, maybe it's just us, Yami."

Yami laughed, then laid his back against the grass. Joey did the same. As they looked into the stars together, Yami commented: "This has got to be the best part of the night."

* * *

Now dry and in her pajamas, Tea walked around her house aimlessly. "There's nothing to do around here. Maybe I should go back and see what the guys are doing." Grabbing her sweater, she opened the front door and started walking toward the park again.

Once she reached the curb, however, she heard someone calling her name. Turning around, she saw Masazaku walking toward her. She tried her best to smile. "Hi Masa, what are you doing here?"

"I actually came to see you."

Tea frowned inwardly. "Oh really?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "I wanted to ask you something."

"What?" Tea asked, innocently.

Masa scratched the back of his head. "I know I haven't really been a great person to you, but you've always been nice to me. I really appreciate that, and would like...the privilege to take you to prom. I can't see myself going with anyone else."

* * *

"So, anything happen with you and Tea?"

Yami turned to his friend. "With Tea? Like what?"

"You know," Joey said, "prom and stuff."

Yami blinked. "Umm...well...she...kind of asked me to prom."

"Well?" Joey asked. "What did you say?"

Yami looked back toward the sky. "I told her I couldn't because I wasn't going."

"WHAT!" Joey yelled, sitting up. "You did WHAT?"

Yami scratched his head. "Joey, it looked like she was only asking me because she felt sorry for me. I couldn't let her go with me when she wants to go with someone else."

"Who else would she go with? You're the only one she lik--yeah! I mean, who else do you think she would want to go to prom with? Everyone else has a date."

"I dunno. Maybe Yugi...or..."

"YUGI! Are you stupid?"

Yami looked at his friend. "I don't think so..."

"Well, you're definitely acting like it now. Yami,"--Joey breathed in--"Tea wants to go with you. I can't believe you turned her down because you thought she felt bad for you."

"What should I do now?"

"Tell her on Monday that you want to go with her," Joey said, "I'm sure she'll be more than happy to accept. Just do it quickly. You never know who'll ask her..."

* * *

Tea's eyes widened. "You're...asking me to prom?"

He nodded meekly. "Yes, I'm sorry it's so late."

"Masa, I...don't know what to say." She said. Her eyes met the ground. "I really don't think I can go with you." She then looked into his eyes. He seemed hurt. It reminded her of how she felt with...Yami...

"I'm sorry," she said. This reminded her of what he said to her when she asked him. It was like deja vu, except the tables were turned. Masa was her and she was Yami.

"Oh...it's fine. I understand." He said. Then, smiling, he added: "I'll see you around."

This scene was all too well. She remembered her eyes burning. Her throat was dry. She couldn't believe Yami had declined her offer. She just thought...she had a chance.

She looked at Masa, who was now walking away from her. He thought..._he had a chance.._

No. She couldn't...do this to Masa. She knew exactly how it felt to be turned down. She didn't want him to feel like she did--and still did. "Masa! Wait!"

He turned around, eyes teary-eyed. "What's up, Tea?"

"I changed my mind. I want to go with you."

His eyes brightened. "Really!"

"Yes," she said. "I would love for you to take me to prom."

"Oh my goodness...thank you so much, Tea!"

Tea sighed to herself. "No problem. We'll have fun."

Smiling, Masa waved a goodbye and ran into the distance. Tea watched, a sickness now building in her stomach. "I can't believe...Masa is now taking me to prom. Where did I go wrong?"

* * *

To be continued...

Quite an unrealistic chapter, eh? Actually, some events in this story actually happened to me. LOL. Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry for the wait. And don't kill me because of the ending. (cough) Things will fit into place...sometime...

Thanks: (and I took the time to answer each of you personally! I figured you guys were waiting a long time for this chapter! TFR means thanks for reviewing. I know I'm going to get lazy toward the end.)

**TheAngelOfSorrow: **I know, I couldn't picture Kaiba a perv either. I think that's what really got me so "into" making him one. LOL. Glad you liked the chapter. Hope you like the Seto/Serenity in this chapter!

**Death Angel's Fate: **LOL. I might make another chapter with Kaiba being a pervert, too. BTW, I looked at your profile. I really wanna read your Yami/Tea stories. Just give me a couple of weeks. Thanks for the review!

**Amazoness Archer: **Hey, what's up? Glad I had you laughing this chapter. I hope this chapter will make you laugh as well. Thanks for reviewing, girl!

**lady caboos: **Glad you enjoyed the Seto/Serenity. There's more in this chapter, so hope you enjoy! You know, after writing Seto/Serenity, I have more respect for the couple. How weird. LOL. Thanks for reviewing.

**yami/tea fan: **You're going to kill me for this chapter. I think Masa better start running away from you now. Hehe. Well, I'm going to try to make the next chapter more Yami/Tea. We'll see what happens. Thanks.

**XXR.I.PXX: **Wow! The Kaiba being a pervert was a big hit! (laughs) Thanks for reading and glad you liked the last chapter. Hope you enjoy the Seto/Serenity this chapter!

**Racegirl: **Hahahahahaahaha! Wow! I made a Kaiba-hater actually feel sorry for him! WOO! LOL. TFR

**sweetmidnight: **Ah yes, sexy beast. Couldn't give Kaiba a better name! LOL. TFR.

**Little Atemu: **Wow, you don't like Seto/Serenity? That's surprising. Who would you rather see paired with Kaiba or Serenity then? I'm not a big fan myself, but I wanted to try a different direction. Anywayz, TFR. Love your stories.

**RoseGoddess874: **Sorry I couldn't update "soon". Exams and other issues stood in the way. Blargh. Well, hope this chapter suffices the wait. TFR.

**setoxserenity: **I tried my best to put S/S in this chapter. Hope you like. TFR.

**Bishounen Lover: **Oh no! I don't think Bakura's bottom is big. It's actually pretty flat. Hehehe. It's just an inside joke between Joey and the gang. Don't worry. And as far as "jumping someone's bones," well...uhh...hmm...what's the best way to describe this? It's when you "do" things with other people. You know? (coughs) TFR.

**killer109: **Sorry for picking on your man. He's just too serious sometimes and I wanted to show the softer side of Kaiba. Oh man, you really wanted to see Tea asking Yami? Well...umm...(runs away) You're going to kill me! TFR.

**Daikaio: **WHOA! What happened to your story! Did delete it? I'll kill them. (looks) Oh, you put it back up. Well, I hope everything is alright. I really love that story. Honestly, it's one of the really good ones. TFR.

**Hysterik-Angel: **Hey! TFR! There isn't much Yami/Tea in this chapter. I may make it a strict Yami/Tea chapter next time around, though.

**djanime2004: **Glad you like the story! Hope you enjoy this chapter! TFR!

**merissala: **(blushes) AWW! My story isn't THAT good. Your review did make me smile, though. TFR.

**Sanguine Dreams: **LOL, just read it when you can, SD! The story will always be here for you to read.TFR.

**FizzWife: **Glad you're loving the story! Hahaha...Seto Kaiba actually being funny...what will I think of next? TFR!

**da-elfie: **(gasp) You're the first person to say that you LIKE the Seto/Serenity in the story. Thank you so much! I was having major doubts about putting them in, but you made me feel better about it. TFR.

**TanukiChic313: **Interesting name. You must tell me how you came up with that. Hehehe. Welp, thanks for calling this story "awesome," it made me feel so good inside. (wipes tears away) TFR.

**Sailor Star Universe: **Ha! You graduated? Congrats! I graduate in a couple of weeks. Plus, my prom is this week! Yikes! Well, I'm glad I made your Senior year a little bit more interesting with this story. TFR.

**animeluver911: **(hurries) I'm writing it as fast as I can! (hurries faster) There we go! It's up! LOL. TFR.

**The Broken Bow: **You are another person whom I have to read stories from. I saw that you wrote Yami/Tea, and I will definitely check them out...soon! LOL. Glad you enjoyed my story. TFR.

**Nicole: **AWWWWWWWW! (hugs) You think I'm a great Yami/Tea writer? (blows nose) Thanks so much. I almost cried while reading your review. Sorry it took me so long to update. (coughs) I'm hoping the story will be like 10 chapters. We'll see how much I can write. LOL. TFR.

**FFF: **WOO! Glad you're enjoying it. Tell me what your fav pairing is. I like knowing who likes who. TFR.


	8. Gonna Rain

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO, etc...

A/N(1): Yeah...this chapter is...umm...overdue. Sorry. Just things...happened...yeah...

A/N(2): You guys liked the last chapter? Yesh! I'm so happy you did. Anywayz, this chapter is more Yami/Tea centered. So, sorry Mai/Joey, Serenity/Seto fans. I really needed to...find my Yami/Tea roots again. It's just been really hard with all these other couples and Joey's antics.

A/N(3): This chapter is dedicated to my best friend, Kai. He's the coolest, and I hope he knows that.

Title: _Just A Night_

Chapter Eight: _Gonna Rain_

**April 22, 2005**

Monday. Lunes. Lundi. Montag. Luni. Lunedì.

However you said it, it all came down to one simple meaning--a new school week was beginning. Tea, now rubbing her eyes, was unsure how to comprehend this basic knowledge. So many things had gone down on Sunday that she didn't even want to think what today would bring.

Still resting her head on the pillow, she stared at her clock, aimlessly. 6:56 AM. _'Maybe I'll just stay home today..' _Rolling over to her backside, she looked at the ceiling. "Wait...class meeting is today...crap..." Not making any hasty moves, she again looked at her clock. 6:56 AM. Sighing, she put her hands behind her head.

_"I don't think I'm going to the prom, Tea." _

Growling, she grabbed a pillow and threw it over her head to drown out his voice. Little did she know that she couldn't. He would always remain a part of her, just as long as she loved him. She looked at her clock. It again read 6:56 AM. _'I know it's been more than a minute...' _Sitting up, she grabbed the digital clock and waited for it to change. Nothing.

Her firm concentration on the clock was broken once she heard the cheery, too-happy voice of her mom from the kitchen. "Tea, your bus is here!" Once the information sunk in, she threw the sheets off her bed and ran into the bathroom...

* * *

"Hahaha...that has got to be the funniest morning story I've ever heard!" Mai giggled, eyes glued on the road in front of her. She got a call from Tea earlier this morning about her missing the bus because her clock stopped. She decided to bring Tea to school since she was driving past there anyway. She also had to have a little chat with her friend. But Tea knew nothing of her ulterior motive...yet.

"It's not funny! I had to run outside in my pajamas to try to stop the bus! And you know what the bus driver did when he saw me in his mirrors? He _kept_ driving!"

Mai put a hand to her mouth, trying to muffle her laughter. "Oh my goodness.."

"...and then I was about to make French toast for myself when I realized that we had no bread. And...and...I was putting my knee-highs on when I realized this big-ass rip on the side. OH! It was such a bad morning. I should have stayed in bed and thought it was 6:56 AM all day." Tea said, frustrated beyond belief.

"It will get better. I'm sure once you see Yami--"

"Don't talk about him," the brunette seethed hastily, looking away from her friend.

Mai raised an eyebrow, obviously interested in her friend's change of attitude. "What happened?"

"I did what you told me to do. I asked him to the prom."

"So? Why the long face? Don't know what dress to impress him with prom night?"

"Mai..." Tea turned to the blonde, eyes moistened with tears. "We're not going together. He said..." She looked down at her skirt. "He said that he wasn't going to the prom."

Mai jammed on the brake. "WHAT!" Tea fell forward. Luckily, she had her seat belt on. She would probably be through the glass and across the street with Mai's hasty actions. "He's...not going? What's wrong with him? Why, I'm going to put my nail extensions on and--"

"That's not necessary, Mai. I'm already taken. Masa asked me yesterday."

Mai frowned. "But...you were supposed to go with Yami..."

"Apparently not." Tea said, "but it doesn't matter. I'll have a good time. I don't need Yami. I don't..." Tea sniffed back a couple of tears. Her bottom lip then quivered from holding back tears. "Oh Mai! Why...does this have to hurt...so much?" She threw her face into Mai's shoulder and started to sob. She had no more tears to cry, though. She had used them all up last night.

"I'm so sorry," Mai said, not sure how to comfort her friend. She wasn't known for making people feel better. "Maybe he doesn't like dances. You can't blame him. I'm sure it has nothing to do with you."

Tea sniffed, now looking into Mai's eyes. "I know...but...I can't stop thinking that...he did it because he didn't want to go with me." She pulled back her bangs behind her ears and hugged herself. "It's stupid to think like that, but there's a chance it could be true."

"There's no chance." Mai said, firmly. "Stop this. You shouldn't be feeling like this." Tea remained silent. Sighing, Mai put a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I know Yami. I know you know him, too. Do you think there's a chance he would do something like that?"

"...no.."

Mai smiled. "Thought so." Mai put her car back in drive and veered back into traffic. She made a quick glance over at Tea to see if she had made her feel better. Tea had stopped crying. That was a good sign. She decided to change the subject, after all, she had something she wanted to discuss with Tea."Joey called me yesterday."

Tea wiped her eyes. "He did? What did he say?"

"He was talking about Serenity and Kaiba. He doesn't approve of them together at all, and he doesn't like to see her disappearing for hours with Kaiba. He thinks Kaiba will take advantage of her because she's two years younger than him."

"Joey may not like Kaiba, but he should know Kaiba wouldn't try anything like that."

Mai nodded. "That's what I told him, but oddly enough, I don't think Joey meant to say that. I think he's just overprotective. He thinks nobody is good enough for his sister, you know?"

Tea, sniffing her tears back, nodded. "Did he say anything else?"

"Well..." Mai said, a smile forming on her lips...

_"I don't wanna to see dem togetha!" _Joey retorted, as Mai moved the receiver away from her ear.

_"Well, what if your positions were changed and she was the big brother. Do you think it would be fair for her to tell you who and who not to go out with?" _There was a silence on the line. Mai decided to stretch her advice as far as she could._ "It's like if she said that you couldn't go to prom with me because she didn't like me. Do you understand?" _

_"Dat's ridiculous! I wouldn't let her do that! Especially when you're the only girl I wanna go out wit!" _

Mai blushed. Luckily there conversation wasn't face-to-face._ "Well then, maybe it's time to back off." _

_"You're right, Mai! Thanks a lot." _

Tea nudged her friend, playfully. "Whoa...looks like someone likes Joey."

"That numbskull? Don't make me laugh." Mai said.

Tea made an "mhm" sound, as Mai drove into the school parking lot. "Why can't you just admit to me that you like him? I told you all my secrets about Yami." Tea said, as she put her school bag on her lap.

Mai turned to her friend. "Tea, I want to...but at this moment...I'm confused."

"Confused?" Tea moved away a little bit. "You _like _girls?"

"W-what?" Mai sputtered, as Tea cocked an eyebrow up. "NO!...I DO NOT LIKE GIRLS!"

"Whatever you say, Mai--"

"NO! I didn't mean that kind of confused!"

"You sure?" Mai glared at Tea. She laughed. "I'm just playin' with you."

After Mai's heart rate returned to normal, she looked away from her friend. "I'm confused...with my feelings for him. I want to love him, but another part of me thinks I'll get my heartbroken. I'm not confused...I'm scared..."

Tea frowned sympathetically for her friend. "Mai, I know in the end you'll make the right decision and--"

"...and your friends will be behind you every step of the way," Mai interrupted, imitating Tea.

"I think you've been hanging around me too much," Tea said, "but I'm glad you listen to me."

"I always have, even when it looked like I wasn't--or didn't care. You are truly the voice of reason."

Tea stared at Mai, waiting for her to crack a joke after that serious line. She didn't. "Mai, you really mean that?" She said. Mai turned to her and nodded. "That really means a lot to me. Thanks." She wrapped her arms around her friend and hugged her.

"Your welcome. I'm glad to have a friend like you." She paused, a smile playing on her lips. "I must tell you, hun. I am confused the other way, too. Maybe I _do _like girls..." Tea pulled away hastily. Mai laughed. "Gotcha."

Tea chuckled, then stepped out of her car. "Well, just in case, maybe you spend some time with Bakura's ass. Once you see that, you'll know which way to swing." She winked and left a now-laughing Mai.

* * *

Now in a better mood, Tea walked into her homeroom class. Tristan and Yami were talking, while Joey was face-down on the desk, sleeping. She smiled at them, even Yami. "Hey guys! How was the rest of your weekend?"

Tristan and Yami answered with "good," while Joey remained on the desk. She was about to open her mouth and say something when Joey said: "no ma'am, we don't sell Super Size Fries anymore.."

"Was he working this morning?"

Tristan nodded. "He's working hard for Mai..."

"Mai? Where?" Joey shouted, now looking around the room. The gang started cracking up. "What's so funny? Did you guys crack a McDonalds' joke on me again?"

"No, bro," Tristan said, shaking his head, "you were the joke."

Raising an eyebrow, Joey sat there, confused, as the gang continued to laugh...

* * *

"So, today, we have to see how many people are going to prom," Miho said, articulating her voice to her audience--the seniors. She seemed very cool and collected while giving the speech, but to the rest of the student council, who were seated behind her, they knew she was nervous. Her arms were shaking behind the podium and her feet were tapping to a silent tune. "I have two sheets. One for the people who are definitely going to prom and want to buy a ticket. The other sheet is for people who will not be attending. Understood?"

"Wait...which paper is the one for going to prom?" A voice asked from the back.

Miho glared at Joey, the person behind the voice. "The one on the_ right_."

"Well, my right or your right?"

Snickers were heard throughout the class. Miho cleared her throat, maintaining her cool. "The one on my right, Joey. Any other questions? Comments--?"

"What if I went up there...and I signed the wrong sheet?"

Miho growled. "It will say what sheet it is on the _top _of the paper."

"...and if I don't see that?"

"A small loss for us..." Miho whispered, although almost everyone heard her. "Anyway, please come up and sign the sheet now. And Joseph, if you need help, we'll sound out the words together, okay?" Joey laughed, as students started filing to the front to sign the sheet.

* * *

Yami, pulling on the collar of his shirt, looked through the dozens of students now lining up to sign the sheet. He had to find Tea, but she was no where to be seen. He had to tell her that he changed his mind about prom--before it was too late.

_'She has to be in front...with the Student Council...' _Standing up, he forced his legs to move forward. _'This isn't hard...just tell her that you made a mistake.' _Legs now more comfortable to walk, he started searching for the brunette.

It was then he saw her. She was standing, arms folded, looking out the window. He was surprised she wasn't helping the rest of Student Council with the Seniors. She was always so active in everything. Now, though, she looked very distant.

"Tea?"

She jumped slightly, then turned around to face him. "Oh, hi Yami."

"Is everything all right?" Yami asked, concerned.

"With me? Oh...yeah! I'm fine. Do you need anything?"

He nodded, now rubbing the back of his neck. "Actually, I wanted to ask you about prom."

"Prom? What about prom?"

"I was thinking about it last night...and I decided that--"

"TEA! HEY TEA!"

_'Who the hell?' _Yami thought, frustrated that he couldn't finish his sentence. He looked over his shoulder to see Masa walking toward them. _'Not now, Masazaku. Go away.' _

"Oh, sorry Yemi. Am I interrupting?" He asked, putting his hand against the wall.

_'Yes...and whoa...did he just call me Yemi?' _Smiling brightly, though wishing he had his shadow powers, Yami said: "No, you're not interrupting at all. I'll be over here when you're finished, Tea."

Tea frowned inwardly. She'd rather be with Yami then Masa anyday. "Hi Masa..." She said to him, although her eyes were watching Yami, who was getting in line.

"What's up, babe?" Masa said, giving off his trademark smile.

Tea clenched her teeth, but forced herself not to say anything too rash. "Nothing Masa. What are you doing over here?" She asked. He shrugged his shoulders at her question.

"Just wanted to see how you were, " said Masa, smiling.

_'Yeah right. You were just jealous of Yami.' _Tea pulled some hair behind her ear and nodded. "Well, I'm good. Thanks for asking." Tea then looked over toward the line of seniors. "Hey listen, I better check on the progress over there. I'll see you later?" He nodded and let her go.

"She totally digs me," Masa said to himself, running a hand through his hair.

* * *

_'What did Yami want?' _Tea asked, walking back to the Student Council desk. "Hey Tea, we could use some help over here," Miho said, "there's still a few more people who haven't signed one of the lists."

"Well," Tea looked at the dwindling Senior class, "mostly everyone has left for their next class. There's only about ten people left." Tea surmised. "Alright, all those who haven't signed the sheet...please come to the front."

Yami, who hadn't signed any of the sheets, walked up to the Student Council desk. There was several people in front of him, but it wasn't a long wait. After about three people signed the sheet, he was next. He looked at Tea and smiled.

"Here's the sheet you want," she pointed to the one that listed the people not going to prom.

"Oh," he paused for a second, "that's what I wanted to tell you, Tea. I...decided to go to prom. Joey and Tristan talked me into it." He said, hoping she wouldn't take it personally.

Tea froze. _'He's...what? He's going to prom? No...this can't be happening.' _She tried to force herself to smile, but she was in a state of shock. _'That means...I didn't have to ask...Masa...and...omg...' _

"Tea?" He asked, trying to get her attention.

"I'm sorry, Yami, I...just remembered that I had to do something important..." Standing, she scurried around the desk and walked out the room. Yami, confused, dropped the pen in his hand and ran after her.

* * *

_'He's...going to prom...' _Tea thought, her throat now burning from holding back tears. _'What made him change his mind?' _She stopped in the middle of the hallway. _'I'm so confused...' _

"Tea! Tea! Are you all right?" It was Yami. She could tell by his defined, yet deep voice.

She didn't turn around. She couldn't turn around and look at him. It would hurt too much. "Tea?" He said, repeating her name again. She didn't turn around. "Was it something I said?"

"No, no," she lied. Then, happily, she said: "I thought I had to grab some papers from the Student Council office, but it turns out Miho got them already. That's all." She lied again.

"Oh...okay.." He said, a little disbelief in his tone.

"Hey, since we're out here...tell me what you were going to say."

Yami shrugged his shoulders. "You basically heard everything. I changed my mind about prom, and I was wondering if you still were up to..going with me." He said, calmly, although he was sweating beads.

"Oh..." Tea paused. "Masa asked me last night to go to the prom with him."

"R-really?" Yami asked, trying to sound like he didn't care. "Oh, well I'm glad you found someone." He looked away from her face. He was embarrassed, sad, heartbroken, and happy for Tea all at once.

"I'm really sorry," she added.

"Don't worry about it, we'll see each other at prom, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, it's cool."

"Yup."

Little did they know how hurt the other was...

* * *

"WHAT! She's going with Masa!"

Yami cringed at the sound of Joey's shouting. It was now after-school, and for a change, Yami and Joey decided to walk over to Joey's house instead of heading over to McDonalds or Yami's apartment.

"Yeah...but it's not her fault...she didn't know I was going..."

Joey folded his arms. "She didn't know because you were too scared to tell her."

"Well"--Yami opened his mouth to argue, but found nothing to hold his side of the argument--"yeah, you're right. I guess I just have to accept the fact that she found someone better."

"Better? Damn, you are love sick."

"What? I don't...love--"

Joey flicked his wrist. "I know you haven't been able to shake your bon-bon for awhile with the whole reincarnation thing, but that's no reason to lie about your feelings."

Yami didn't understand half that sentence, but he got the drift of what Joey was trying to get through to him. "Tea's great, but...I don't love her."

"Tell me, does the thought of Tea...arouse you?"

Yami's eyes widened. "WHAT? Why would you ask something like that?"

"Trust me, I saw this on Dr. Phil once. Now, since the first question is a "yes," let's move on. Do you have dreams about her?" Joey asked. Yami was going to argue about not saying "yes" to the first one...but this question froze in his thoughts.

"I do...dream about her. I once dreamt that she was my Egyptian Queen, but it didn't feel like a dream. It felt real. Like, if she was my Queen when I was Pharaoh."

"Oh...wet dreams..."

"WHAT?"

"So, do you feel attached to her?"

Yami shrugged his shoulders. "She's the only girl I really know--"

"That's it. You're in love with Tea, along with Bakura's ass." Joey said, fighting off a glare from Yami. "What? I'm sure you'll choose between the two!" Yami frowned, now waiting on the curb for the walk light.

"Yami, I'm kidding."

He didn't answer. He seemed stuck in his thoughts. "Joey...I was never to fall in love again."

"What?"

Yami looked at his friend. "I am a reincarnated Pharaoh. I was here for a mission, not to fall in love." Walking across the street, he didn't say another word until they got to Joey's house.

"Listen man, don't beat yourself up." Joey said, once they walked into his house.

Yami turned to Joey. "You're right. Can I use your phone?"

"For what?"

"I'm going to call Tea," the once-Pharaoh answered.

"To do what?"

"To tell her how I feel."

"WHAT! That's crazy! How can you just do that!"

"She deserves the right to know," Yami said, rather sternly.

Joey covered his face with his hands. "Dude, you don't _tell _a chick you dig her. You give her hints, you know? You can't just go all-out and say that you love her." Yami, ignoring Joey, dialed her number. "GIMME THE PHONE!" Yami turned away from him, waiting to hear her angelic voice. "You're making a mistake, man! GIMME!"

"It needs to be done."

_"Hey--" _

"Hi Tea, this is Yami--"

_"--you've reached Tea Gardner. I'm sorry I'm not here at the moment. Be sure to leave your name and number, and I'll be sure to call you back. Have a great day!" _

"Yea Tea, it's Yami. I've been thinking about the prom, and I realized that...I really want to go with you. I know you already have a worthy date, but I thought you should know that you've been on my mind. I can't stop thinking about you, Tea. I'm in love with you." Hanging up the phone, Yami sighed and looked over at his shocked friend.

"I can't _believe _you just did that." Joey said.

"I had to do something. She has a right to know."

"Dude," Joey said, "when she hears that message...she's gonna freak. She's already dealing with Masa, and now you're coming into the picture? Wow. You're making things hard for her."

Yami frowned. "Oh crap...I can't believe I just did that."

"What?" Joey asked, wondering if he had actually gotten through to his friend.

"I...wasn't thinking. I just...wanted to get it off my chest. I didn't realize what I was doing until it was actually done. Oh man, I...oh...what am I going to do?"

Joey folded his arms. "I told you not to do it."

"She can't hear that message, Joey. She can't...know how I feel! Please, help!"

"We can...go to her house and delete the message..."

Yami raised an eyebrow. "Break into her house? Like what we almost did with Kaiba?"

"Maybe..."

* * *

"I can't believe we're breaking into her house..."

Joey shrugged. "Hey, we're already criminals..."

"We can't just break into her house...it's wrong...and she's our friend!"

Joey rolled his eyes. "We're not stealing anything, only deleting something..."

"But Joey--"

It was then the front door swung open. "Hi boys, Tea's not home right now." Joey and Yami turned to see Tea's mother at the door. They both blushed, embarrassed.

"Oh, we didn't know..."

"Yeah," her mother answered, "she had dance practice. Would you like to come in and wait for her?" She stretched out her hand for them to come into her home.

Joey looked at Yami and nodded. "Yes, thank you."

* * *

"What are we going to do, man?" Joey whispered to Yami as they sat in the Gardner's living room. Yami looked at his friend, trying to think of a good plan.

"Wait...I got an idea..." Yami said, as Tea's mom came into the living room with drinks. "Mrs. Gardner, may I please use the bathroom?"

She smiled down at Yami. "Of course, but use the one upstairs. The downstairs plumbing is horrible." Yami then looked over at Joey and gave a thumbs-up. Joey returned the gesture.

Creaking up the stairs, Yami looked around for Tea's room aka "the bathroom". He hadn't actually _been_ in her room. Coming to a door, he opened it slowly. It was pink and had pictures all over the walls of dancers. This had to be Tea's room.

Walking in, he looked around for a phone. Other things seemed to distract him, though. There was pictures of her friends, Egypt, and of...him. He wondered why she kept a picture of him next to her bed. "That's weird.." He clapsed the picture in is hands and sat on her bed. "Maybe she..."

_"MOM! I'm home!" _

Yami jumped, dropping the frame on the floor. "Oh, no!" Picking it up, he placed it back on her nightstand and quickly looked around. "Where's the phone?" He looked around, frantically. It was then he saw it on her desk.

"Three new calls," he said, picking up the phone. "I have to find mine..." He pressed the voicemail button to listen to the messages and delete the one that was his...

_"Three new messages; received on April 22, 2005. First new message. _'Hey babe, this is Masa. Gimme a ring when you get the chance, gorgeous, bye!'..._to delete this message press 1 or--" _Yami pressed the number one, satisfaction written on his face. _"Second message. _'Hey, it's Mai. Just calling to see how your day went with Yami. Don't leave out any details. See ya, hun!'..."

"With Yami? What?" He couldn't dwell on the message. He heard someone walking upstairs.

_'Third message.' _

"Oh...hurry!" Yami said, hearing the footsteps getting closer.

_"I'm just putting my dance things upstairs, mom!" _

_"WAIT! TEA! Umm...did you hear from Mai?" _Joey yelled, trying to stall her. Yami sighed in relief, though still trying to hurry. _'Yeah Tea, it's Yami. I--' _Yami pressed one and hung up the phone quickly.

Then, running toward her door, he cracked it open to see where Tea was. She was almost at the top of the stairs. He had to be quiet. Cracking the door open, he jumped out and closed the door slowly. "Alright, I'm safe--"

"Yami? What are you doing?"

Yami jumped, fearing the worst. "I'm sorry, Tea, I was looking for the bathroom and I got lost." He scratched the back of his head, hoping she believed his story. Her sharp tone softened.

"Oh, it's okay. It's at the end of the hallway."

Yami nodded. "Thank you," he then turned around and ran off.

_'Uhm...okay...' _Tea thought, as she dropped the stuff at the top of the ledge and walked back downstairs.

* * *

"That was close," Yami thought, pacing around the bathroom. "She...almost caught me..." He turned around and looked into the mirror. "At least now...now there's no chance she'll know about my feelings..."

Opening the door, he walked back downstairs.

* * *

"So, what were you guys doing here?"

Joey shrugged. "Can't visit a friend? We didn't know you had dance today."

"Oh, well, thanks for stopping by."

Joey smiled. "No worries, but, we have to go now. My McDonalds' shift starts in twenty minutes." He looked at his watch. "Sorry Tea. I guess we'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," she walked them to the front door, "see you guys tomorrow."

"Bye!" They both said in unison, as they walked down the steps.

Tea closed the door, letting out a sigh.

"It was nice of them to stop by, don't you think?" Her mother asked, drying a plate that she had just washed. Tea shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah, but maybe _too_ nice for my liking.."

* * *

"Did you do it?" Joey asked, once he heard the door slam.

Yami nodded. "Yup, it's deleted."

"Close call, eh?"

Again, Yami nodded. "Don't worry, it won't happen _again_."

* * *

_To be continued..._

Welp, it's up. Hope you like. See ya around for the next chapter. The prom is coming soon!

A thank you to:

**Little Atemu:** Hahahaha...I loved that line, too. Things will turn out well for Yami and Tea soon enough. Just not...now...(coughs) Well, thanks for reviewing.

**Death Angel's Fate: **Yami asked Tea, but judging from this chapter, she's going with Masa. Better luck in future chapters, Yami. LOL. Thanks for reviewing.

**setoxserenity: **Again, not a big Seto/Serenity fan. This chapter was more Yami/Tea and Joey/Mai. Sorry! Maybe the next chapter I'll put a special part in there for S/S fans. TFR.

**sweetmidnight: **Hahaha...yes...Joey is a crazy cracker. Hope you enjoyed the humor from him this chapter. Hehehe. Oh, and it will not be one-sided! Come on, you know me! Yami/Tea forever! WOO! TFR!

**Daikaio: **Glad you put your story back up. I really love it, especially the man obsessed by seagulls. LOL. But anyway, I'll try to review it when I get the chance. I've just been so..blagh. Welp, TFR!

**animeluver911: **Well...I updated...not soon...but I updated. Hope you're still alive, lol. TFR!

**Bishounen Lover: **Yes, Yami is a dummy. He's an even bigger dummy in this chapter. Darn him! Welp, Tristan and Joey have simmered down on the pick-up lines. Maybe next chapter they'll come up with better ones, lol. TFR!

**Luthien-Anwaman: **YEA! I'm--well, Joey's--actually funny! WOO! Score one for the Wheeler! Hahaha. TFR!

**Hysterik-Angel: **You're gonna wanna kill Masa now. And btw, yes, I have brought the focus from Yugi and Yami to the couples. I wonder why...no real reason...their fight is so stupid...maybe I'll end it next chapter. TFR!

**Sayiangirl: **Do you like Yami/Tea, too? Hope so. More of them to come. TFR.

**Amazoness Archer: **Don't kill Masa yet, AA! He still hasn't fulfilled his purpose! LOL. Well, thanks for reading. Talk to you on the forum. TFR!

**Sailor Star Universe: **Thanks! It is a good feeling to graduate. (smiles) But anyway, I really appreciate your kind remarks. I just hope you're still watching this story. I know it's been awhile...but the chapter is here. TFR.

**XXR.I.PXX: **Yeah...I'm surprised Mai didn't chop his hand off. LOL. Well, anyway, Yami is bad. He's bad in this chapter, too. He just doesn't understand the concept of love. Oh well. Maybe he'll learn. TFR.

**Racegirl: **Hey! Finally updated! Been long enough, I know. Well, thanks for reviewing. Join the "Kill Masa" group on the forum when you get a chance. Quite a lively group.

**cutehelenjames: **Seems good? Hmph! LOL! J/K! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. TFR.

**AerinM: **Yah! Aerin is in da howz! LOL. Thanks for reviewing. You've been by my side for almost all my stories. I really appreciate your company, lol. TFR.

**DesirePassion: **Hahaha...actually Bakura comes in later. Right now, it's just his ass. But anyway, don't hate Tea! She gets Yami in the end. Oops! Did I say too much? (runs) TFR!

**Nicole: **I hope to make a sequel to Almost Royalty, A Fresh Start, and A Day in February. That will take some time, though. LOL. My next story will definitely be AR II. It was requested by a friend. Anywayz, thanks again for reviewing.

**Starlet36: **Awww! My story isn't that great. Glad you think so. Brought a smile to my face. TFR.

**Shining Friendship: **Hey friend! Sorry I haven't emailed you in awhile. Been really...blagh...yeah, I'll explain in my email. Anywayz, thanks for reviewing. Means a lot to me when you review.

**SilverOtaku: **Wahaha...Bakura does have a nice ass? Thanks for clarifying that. Never exactly checked. Hahaha. But yeah, I'll try to make Yami blush next chapter. This chapter...he was more scared then anything else. TFR.

**FizzWife: **Hahaha...yeah...they'll get a magical moment in the future. Don't worry. TFR.

**Funkygal-yamitea fan: **Man, you crack me up in your reviews, too, yami/tea fan. Welp, you're gonna kill Masa most definitely now. Should I protect him? (silence) LOL. TFR.

**allidunno: **Oh, no! Don't die! They'll be more Yami/Tea soon. TFR!

**KibumiWong: **Thanks for the luck, I'll need it. Hehehe. Glad you like Yami/Tea. TFR!

**crystalblue: **Hell, I write this fic and it frustrates me. Don't worry...things will get better as the chapters progress. TFR!

**killer109: **(hides) I updated! Yeah...well...uhh...glad you like the story. Don't kill me if updates take long. Just a lot of problems on the home front. I'll try to get it up as soon as possible, though. TFR!

**sdfsdf: **Glad you like all the pairings! WOO! My job is done, lol. TFR!

PS: Amazoness Archer made a "Kill Masa" group on my Yami/Tea forum if anyone is interested, lol. The URL is on my profile. I would put it here but doesn't allow URLs in the fics. Oh well. Drop by and join the club. WOO!


	9. The Date

Disclaimer: Don't own YGO.

A/N: Alright, you guys are going to get mad at me again for this chapter...(whistles)

A/N(2): Yeah! I got this chapter up quick! WOO! I think I was just really bored and had ideas for this chapter. Awesome! Hope I can think of something good for the next chapter...

Title: _Just A Night_

Chapter Nine: _The Date_

**April 31, 2005**

_"Yami, why do you need to work for Kaiba?" _

_Yami, who was filling out a Kaiba Corp application, frowned at his light. "Yugi...I've been a burden to you long enough. If I work for Kaiba Corps, I can help you and your Grandpa with the Game Shop."_

_Yugi sat across from him, hands laced. "Do you really believe that?" _

_"What are you saying?" He looked up to meet a pair of violet orbs like his. Then, "Yugi, this is for the best. I can't take advantage of my second opportunity at life." _

_"It would hurt Grandpa if you worked at Kaiba Corps. You know he believes in passing on the family business to a Moto. We're next in line." He leaned back in his chair. _

_Yami sighed. "**You're** next in line, Yugi." _

_"What?" Yugi dropped the chair back on its feet. "How can you say that? You've lived with us for so long...you are our family! Yami, can't you see? We want you to live with us!" _

_"I appreciate the offer, but I kindly refuse. Kaiba says he can make me into something. Something big." He placed the pen on the table and stood up. "If I'm still here--in your world--I must be destined for something greater."_

_Yugi folded his arms. "The Game Shop isn't good enough. Is that what you're trying to say?" _

_"Yugi..." Yami turned around, now looking out the window. _

_"NO! Tell me!" Yugi stood up, slightly angered. "I want to know the truth. Why are you working for Kaiba? Fame? Glory? If that's the reason, then you're heading in the wrong direction."_

_"Yugi.." Yami repeated. He then turned around. "I want to be something." _

_"You can **be** something here," Yugi retorted, holding his arms out to prove his case. _

_Yami sighed again, this time out of frustration. "Yugi, just let me do this."_

_"You're making a mistake." _

_"Let **me** be the one to make the mistake then." Yami answered, folding his arms. _

_Yugi, almost to the point of tears, glared at him. "You don't need Kaiba to be great." _

_"I don't need this place either," Yami said, though now regretting it. "Yugi...I didn't mean that--" He was interrupted by the silent tears falling down Yugi's eyes. "Yugi, I'm sorry--" _

_"No, you're right. You don't need this place. You don't need Grandpa. And you don't need me." Turning around, Yugi walked away. Yami tried to stop him, but Yugi sprinted into his room...not knowing that it would be the last time they would speak. _

"Yami! Yami! YAMI!"

Violet orbs met angry, gray eyes. They belonged to his English teacher, Mrs. Pollione.

Now regaining vision to his surroundings, he heard the faint laughter of students in the classroom. "I'm sorry," Yami said, blushing slightly. He had nothing else to say but an apology.

Though mad, she whispered a "see me after class" and continued her lesson. Groaning, he put his face in his hands. _'This is the third time I dreamt about that morning..." _He remembered that morning like yesterday. It was a week after he got his body, and he had received word that Kaiba wanted him at his company. Kaiba didn't recommend too many people to his company, so this was a once-in-a-lifetime offer. Yugi just didn't understand that..._or was it he that didn't understand Yugi? _

"Hey Yami," someone whispered to him. He turned to his left to see Joey waving at him. He tried to smile, but his efforts were lost. "Oh, don't worry about that old bag...she just needs to get laid."

"Joey!" a voice said from behind him. It was Tea.

"What?" He asked, innocently.

Yami sighed inwardly. If things weren't bad enough with Yugi, they were pretty bad with Tea as well. He hoped their friendship wasn't crumbling because of prom. He also hoped that...

_Ring_

"Alright class, that's it for today. Remember to read the last few pages of Hamlet for homework." With groans and "oh mans," the class dispersed into the hallway for their next class. Joey and Tristan shot Yami a "good luck" as they exited the classroom. Yami sighed and headed to the front of the classroom.

"Mrs. Pollione, I'm sorry--"

"I didn't ask for an apology. I want you to promise that it will never happen again." She said, rather sternly. Yami nodded. "You're a good student, Yami. I don't want to see your grades slip because of lack of sleep."

He nodded. "It won't happen again."

* * *

_"That was interesting..."_ Yami thought, as he walked into a hallway full of people. 

"Yami! Hey Yami!"

Yami, curious, looked around to see where that highly feminine voice was coming from. He then found the source. It was Kyoko Tetsu. She was captain of the softball, basketball, and soccer team. She had blond hair, usually found in low pigtails, and she wore glasses. She had a great personality and was liked by most of the faculty by her many achievements for the sports team.

"Hello Kyoko," Yami answered, watching the girl lean against the wall next to him.

"Listen, I was wondering...do you have a date for prom yet?"

Yami swallowed hard. "No, not yet..."

"Really?" Her face brightened. Then, she continued, "would you mind going with me? I mean, I know we don't know each other that well...but...we can just go as friends. I think it would be fun."

"I...um.."

"If you want, we can go somewhere after school and get to know each other."

"...okay..."

She smiled. "Great! I'll meet you by the parking lot after school!"

_'Yeah...great...' _

* * *

Walking to his next class, Yami kept his head down and dragged his feet. He felt dead. "YO! DAWG!" yelled Joey, from across the hall. Yami looked over his shoulder, giving a weak smile. "Wut's wrong, man?" 

"Oh...nothing..."

Tristan frowned. "Was it Mrs. Pollione?"

"No," Yami mumbled, "it's nothing."

Joey stopped in front of him and looked at his friend. He knew something was wrong, and he was going to get the truth out of his friend--no matter what. "Yami. Tell me. Now."

Yami sighed, knowing Joey was going to beat the truth out of him if he had to. "Kyoko asked me to the prom. Happy?" He looked at Joey for a response. Joey was pale.

"Wait...you mean...'ooooh...I would like to jump her bones' Kyoko?"

Bad example, but that basically summed it up. "Yeah...and now we're going out after-school."

"Whoa...like on a date?" asked Joey, still pale.

Yami nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Dude! Why didn't you tell her 'no'...?" Yami frowned.

"I just...couldn't..."

Tristan folded his arms. "All you had to tell her was that you had a date with Bakura and his mighty-fine ass after-school. Sheesh." Yami and Joey stared at Tristan in horror. "What?"

"Well...she's not really your date for prom...she's really an escort, so don't make things too hard for yourself. I don't know how you're going to break things to Tea."

"Hmm...what do you mean?" All three boys turned around to stare at Tea. She took a few steps back. "Umm...is everything all right over here?" She shifted the weight of her bookbag on her other shoulder.

"Uhhh..."

"TEA! HEY TEA!" She rolled her eyes, annoyed at Masa's voice.

"Sorry guys, I'll be back in a sec."

They all nodded, actually happy that Masa interrupted...for once...

* * *

"Hello Masa," Tea said, in a bored tone. 

Masa flashed a smile. "Hey babe, did you get my message the other day?"

"Your message?" She asked, confused.

He nodded. "Yup, I called you the other day." She only shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what he was talking about. "Oh well, I just wanted to know what color your dress is going to be for prom. I was going to get a matching tux."

_'A matching tux? What a fag...' _She smiled, "oh Masa, you don't have to do that..."

"I want to. I want our night to be...--" He clasped his hands around hers--"magical..."

She pulled her hands away, laughing nervously. "I'm going to go now..." She tried to move away, but he caught her wrist. _'Don't make me punch you in the face again...' _

"You didn't answer my question, darling," he whispered.

"Masa," she growled, "wear whatever you want..."

"Oooh...does wearing nothing count?" Masa winked.

Covering her face, Tea walked away...

* * *

"Ittttttttttttttttttttttttttt's LUNCHTIME!" Tristan and Joey sang in unison. Tea and Yami, who were behind them, tried to pretend that they didn't know the duo. "Can't wait to see what they have today! Hope it's dirty nachos!" Joey yelled. 

"Come on, let's go!" With the two sprinting toward the cafeteria, they left Yami and Tea alone.

Tea pointed to an empty table, and Yami nodded. "So," Tea said, once they were seated, "what's going on? I haven't seen you around in..a week almost."

"I've just been busy with school...and such..."

She nodded. "I'm really impressed that you caught on so quick with the others."

"Haha," he blushed, "well...thanks...listen...I'm going to go get lunch.."

_'Did I say something?' _Tea asked, confused.

* * *

"Wow, is that a Jamaican patty you're buying?" asked Tristan, as he stood on the pay line. The girl, who was a Junior, nodded her head. He smiled. "Are you Jamaican?" She shook her head. He smiled again. "Oh...because Ja mai can me crazy!" 

Joey, who was behind him, started laughing hysterically. Tristan joined in...until the girl stepped on his foot and kept walking. "Ouch, she was a touchy one." He frowned. "Ah, she doesn't know a hot guy when she sees one..." He struck a "damn, I'm hot" pose. Joey laughed more.

"Guys! Help!" Yami shouted, as he entered the cafeteria.

"Huh?" Tristan and Joey turned to see Yami. "What's up?" Joey asked, as he moved with the line. "Did you cancel your date with Bakura's ass? That's un_ass_ceptable." Joey and Tristan turned to each other and cracked up.

"No, guys...it's Tea...should I tell her about my date?"

"Do you WANNA get shot? No, man. Don't say anything." Tristan answered.

"You sure?" He asked, unsure.

"DUDE! NO!"

* * *

"Hey Tea, what's up?" Miho asked, sitting down next to her. 

Tea looked up from her book. "Hey Miho! I'm just reading my book..."

"Oh, did you hear what Kyoko did?"

Tea shook her head, sipping her bottled water.

"She asked Yami to the prom! Do you believe it?"

Tea spit out her water, choking. "W-what! She asked Yami to the prom? Why? What about her boyfriend?" Miho cringed at the barrage of questions.

"Umm...well...they broke up. I think she's trying to make him jealous if she goes out with Yami..." Miho answered, shaking her head. "She's such a nice girl, but it's wrong what she's doing."

Tea stood up. "She can't be using Yami like that!" She slammed her book down. "Where is she?" Tea scanned the cafeteria for any trace of blond hair. None.

"Umm...Tea...why do you care...?"

Tea blushed, realizing she was acting like an overprotective girlfriend. "He's my friend, Miho. I can't see him get burned with her. No one deserves that treatment."

"WHOA! Miho, do you work for UPS?"

Miho looked up to meet a pair of brown eyes. "No..."

"Oh," he sounded disappointed, "I could have sworn you were checking out my package."

"I'll see you later, Tea." Rolling her eyes, she walked away.

"Guys, I don't think the pick-up lines are working..."

"We're not that dumb, Tea. I mean, Tristan does have a girlfriend and me...well...you know. ANYWAY, the point is, Tristan and I are holding a contest to see who can spill out the worst pick-up line."

"Yup, pretty cool, eh? You can join anytime you want, Tea!"

"I'll pass..."

"Oh, afraid Masa might get jealous?"

She shot Joey a glare, a tint of pink decorating her cheeks. "You suck..." She then picked up her books and walked away. Yami was about to go after her, but Joey shook his head. "Not a good time, man. Not a good time."

* * *

"Oh man...this is so boring..." Mai whispered, as she read over the protocols and symbols for Kaiba's new prototype. "Why can't Kaiba safe-proof his own machine? Lazy ass..." 

It was then she felt something shake her side. She jumped, then realized that it was her cell phone vibrating in her pocket. She looked around, making sure no one was looking, then she picked it up. "Hello?"

_"Hey Mai,"_ a voice said on the other line.

"Tea, what's up? You sound so upset..."

_"Miho just told me Yami's going on a date after-school." _

Mai raised an eyebrow. "Okay...so...what did you expect?"

_"It's not just that. She's using Yami to get her boyfriend jealous."_

"Alright, I get it. So, why did you call me?"

_"I was thinking we could follow them..." _

"And do what?"

She listened to what Tea had to say. She nodded. "Sounds good. I'll meet you in the front of the school. We'll follow them from there, okay?"

_"Thanks Mai, I knew I could count on you." _

"You can always count on me...no matter how crazy it is..."

* * *

Yami sighed. His last period class let out. This meant one thing. _'It's time for my date with Kyoko...' _He plodded over to his locker, feeling as dead as this morning. _'This is my fault...if I told Tea I wanted to go with her...ugh...' _

"Is someone ready for their date?" Joey asked, turning the knob on his combo.

"Not funny, Joey," Yami said, "I'm not looking forward to this at all."

Joey shrugged. "You might end up enjoying yourself--" Yami looked up and glared at Joey--"or not...jeez...I'm getting that look all day. Do I offend?" He lifted his arm and sniffed his armpit. "Nope...still shower fresh!"

Yami threw his bookbag over his shoulder. "See you later, Joey."

* * *

"Yami! Over here!" 

Yami looked up to see Kyoko in her car. "Hi Kyoko..."

"You're ready? I figured we would go to the movies."

"Okay, let's go..."

* * *

Tea watched as Yami got into Kyoko's car. _'The movies? Perfect.' _

"Tea!" The brunette turned around to see Mai pull up next to her. "Do you know where they are going?" She asked, flipping her hair to the side. "I got the stuff in the back."

"Great!" Tea moved around her car and crawled into the passenger's seat. "Let's go!"

"Hey Mai! Tea! Where are you guys going?"

Tea and Mai looked over at Joey and Tristan. "Hey guys...listen...we're in a hurry."

"Hey Mai, do you believe in love at first sight...or should I walk by again?"

Mai lowered her sunglasses and stared at Joey. "Joey, I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth..."

"Ooooh...I didn't know you were that kind of girl," Joey said, giving a wink with his right eye.

"Wow Tea, it sounds like English, but I can't understand a word he's saying."

Joey smiled, inwardly loving the way she always challenged him. Other girls would just brush him off or roll their eyes at him, but she would actually challenge his stupidity. He loved it. He loved her.

"See ya later, baby...but before you go...can I get a kiss?"

Mai smiled. "Joey...how about never? Is never good for you?" She then gave a small wave. "Later." She then put her car in drive and drove off. Joey sighed. He wished she could have stayed longer.

* * *

"You and Joey are so good together.." Tea said, as Mai stopped at a red light. 

Mai turned to Tea. "Stop saying that. Joey's too young for me."

"Is that what it is? You won't go out with Joey because he's younger than you?"

"No..."

"Mai, it's only what? Five years? That's not bad at all!" Tea exclaimed.

"Anyway, I got the wigs in the back. I also got some other clothes." Tea nodded then jumped into the back. "Oh Mai! Not the mini-skirt again!" Mai laughed.

"That's for me, hun. You get the pants." Once the light turned green, she continued on her way to the movies. It was only a few blocks away from the school. "Ooooh...can I get the blond wig?" Mai looked into her rear view mirror to see Tea putting on the blond wig. "Hahaha...wow...you look...umm...blond."

* * *

"Alright, how do I look?" Mai walked out of the car with a black wig, beige skirt, and a white top. Tea stared at her, bewildered by the transformation. "Well?" Mai's wig was long and wavy, just like her blonde hair underneath. 

"It's awesome...your eyes really go with the black hair..."

Mai flipped her hair. "I know..."

"Hahaha, well...this blond wig is not doing it for me..." She titled the wig to fit more on her head. She then fixed her black pants. "Mai, I'm so glad you used to be a model...this stuff really came in handy."

"Yeah...wait...hold still...okay...got it..." She looked Tea up and down. "Wow...you could actually go blond if you really wanted to.." She stared at Tea's wig. It went up to her shoulders, and was slightly layered. The wig also came with bangs, that suited her skin and blue eyes.

"Like omg...no!" Tea said, imitating the blond girls from school.

Mai laughed. "Great...the blondness is taking over your mind..."

"For sure!"

Mai nodded, then noticed something in the corner of her eye. Turning around, she said to Tea: "Hey, come on! I see Kyoko's car. Let's go see what movie they went to."

"Right...uhh...I mean..._totally!_."

* * *

"Oooooh...let's see this movie, Yami!" Kyoko exclaimed, arm around his. 

Yami nodded, uncomfortable with their current position. "Sure, I don't mind."

_"Can you make out what they're saying?" _Tea asked, looking over at Mai. They were over by the snack bar, just in case Yami could see through their disguises.

_"I think she said for him to go back to her place..." _

_"WHAT!" _

Yami turned around, heaing a familiar voice. He only saw a blond and a dark-haired girl near the snack bar. Shrugging his shoulders, he turned back to Kyoko, who was now buying two tickets.

_"I was kidding...sheesh...you almost got us caught," _Mai said.

_"Well...don't kid like that! You know I'm ready to wring Kyoko's neck!" _

Mai laughed. _"Someone's jealous..." _

Tea, steam now coming out of her ears, frowned and was about to say something when she noticed Yami and Kyoko coming over. _"Crap, umm...Mai...what do we do?" _

_"Keep it cool. Don't worry, he won't recogize us." _

"Do you want anything, Yami?"

Yami shook his head. "No thanks." He then looked away, bored. His eyes traveled to the girl he saw before. She had blond hair and beauiful blue eyes. He wondered if they had met before...

"Yami?"

He back toward Kyoko. "Yes, what's up?"

"Nothing," she said with a frown, "can you hold this?" She passed a soda on to him, then proceeded to pay the man at the register. "All right, let's go to the movie..." Striding proudly wih her chin up, she didn't see the foot in front of her.

_Wham! _Kyoko was on the floor.

"Kyoko! Are you okay?"

Embarrassed, she only answered with a nod. She then turned around to see what tripped her. Nothing. "That was weird," she whispered. "Oh, thank you, Yami" she said once Yami got her up.

"Come on, let's go inside the theater..." She nodded at Yami's request.

_"Hahaha! That was brilliant, Mai!" _

Mai smiled. _"What can I say? The girl got on my nerves." _

* * *

As the movie progressed, Yami found himself bored out of his mind. It was a chick flick. He wondered how long it would last. He hoped it was a short movie. 

_"Let's sit right behind them so we can hear their conversation..." _Tea nodded.

"Do you like it so far, Yami?"

He turned to her. "Hmm? Yeah, it's good."

"I knew you would like it," she then turned back toward the screen. Yami rolled his eyes. Tea did as well. Even when sitting behind him, she knew he was bored out of his skull.

* * *

"Oh Yami, this is so romantic!" 

Tea watched as Kyoko put a hand on Yami's hand. Mai saw the anger building on Tea's face. She restrained her by saying she'll blow their cover if Tea makes a scene. Tea nodded.

Yami groaned inwardly. He hated the fact that Kyoko was trying to win him over. He wished he could just walk out of the theater...and into Tea's arms. He blushed at the thought.

Kyoko, though not seeing his blush due to the dark theater, took his silent matter as a sign that he liked her. She turned to him. "Yami...I really like you..." He turned to her. "Do you like me?"

"Uhh..."

She leaned toward him to kiss him. He moved away.

That was the last straw for Tea. Standing, although held back by Mai, Tea took her soda and threw it on Kyoko's blouse. "AHHHHHH!" Kyoko shouted as the liquid soaked into her shirt. She turned around and faced the dark-haired girl. "What is wrong with YOU?"

Tea put a hand to her mouth. "_Like_, I'm soooo sorry! I'm _like _such a ditz!"

Kyoko ran out, Yami close behind.

"I can't believe you just did that." Mai said, though impressed by Tea's action.

"Next time she better think twice before messing with _my_ man!"

* * *

"Kyoko? Are you okay in there?" Yami asked, knocking on the female facility. He didn't hear an answer. "Kyoko?" He asked again. 

"She'll be alright." Tea said, stepping forward.

Yami turned around and looked at the girl. "Who...are you?" He stared at the girl for a second. "Wait...Tea?" He asked, in disbelief. She nodded. "Why are you...dressed like that?"

"I heard about your date from Joey and Tristan." She paused for a second. "Before you jump to conclusions, I wasn't jealous. Miho told me that she was using you to get back with her boyfriend. As a friend, I couldn't stand for that." She said.

He stared at her for a second. "Tea...I just can't believe you...wow..."

"What?"

He chuckled. "Blond is definitely not your color."

"Yeah," she laughed, "I figured that out."

"Hey, why don't you take Yami home, Tea? I'll make sure Kyoko is okay in here." Mai said, pointing to the bathroom. Yami looked at Mai.

"Whoa...you were in on this, too?"

"No...black hair is the new color..."

* * *

"I can't believe you threw soda on her," Yami said. 

Tea fidgeted with her fingers. "Yeah...that was kind of bad..."

"Yeah, but it was really awesome."

She blushed. "Well...thank you..."

"No," he stopped walking to look at her, "thank you." He then giggled at her wig. "Can I take this off?" She nodded. Once he took it off, he said: "there...your brown hair is beautiful on you..." She blushed more.

"Yami..."

He tried to look at her, but knew her blush would make him blush. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about this whole Masa thing. If I knew..."

"Well," he started. Then, "You didn't know. Don't worry about me. I don't mind going alone, I mean, I'll see all of you at the prom anyway. Just...save a dance for me."

Her smile brightened. "You're...a really great guy." With every courage fiber in her, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. He hugged her back, though about to melt to the floor.

"Thanks for everything, Tea. Especially today. You're a great friend." He said, pulling away. He had this strange urge to kiss her, but...he held back. He knew they were just friends. He wouldn't cross the border.

"Yami, it's what friends do."

He nodded, then turned the corner with her to her block.

"Hey Yami, I've been wondering," she turned to him. His heart started beating faster. "Why did you really come to my house last week? Was it just a visit?"

He sighed, a little disappointed. "Last week? Oh yeah...we were...just in the neighborhood.."

"Oh, okay," she said, nodding. "Well...thanks for walking me home."

_'Kiss her, Yami.' _He smiled warmly. "Have a great night."

_'Kiss him, Tea.' _She smiled back. "Yeah, you too." Walking up the steps, she opened the door, turned back to wave, then walked into the house. Yami sighed.

"Maybe tomorrow, Yami. Tomorrow is another day."

* * *

_To be continued..._

_Do you believe I typed this in one day? (nods) Well, anyway, Tea can be just as crazy as Joey! This chapter definitely proved it. Sorry S/S fans, but I had to get this chapter up before Seto and Serenity k---so anyway, thanks for reading. Hope you liked this chapter. _

Thanks to: TFR means thanks for reviewing/reading, lol...

**Daikaio: **Nope, the message was deleted. I'm not that mean, lol. Anywayz, love your story. It's on my favs, as well as you. I think I'm caught up with the story, but you have a knack for updating when I'm not looking. (laughs) Thanks for reviewing.

**Racegirl: **Hahaha...thanks Racegirl. Nope, we can't kill Masa yet. How's the "Kill Masa" plan going anyway? Any luck? Hehehe. See ya on the forum. TFR.

**XXR.I.PXX: **Yes, Masa will get what he deserves in the end. But anyway, Yami is evil? Yeah, he is. But not as evil as Tea. Hehehe. This chapter definitely proved it. Anywayz, TFR.

**cutehelenjames: **Awesome, glad you finished your exams all up. Wow, last chapter was a good chapter? Cool. I didn't think it was that good, but thanks for thinking so. TFR.

**setoxserenity: **(sweats) Next chapter, I promise. TFR.

**svakee2000: **You...don't like Yami/Tea? And you're reading this story? Wow...that's an honor on my part. LOL. So, what are your favorite couples? S/S? J/M?

**AnimeFantasy Fan: **YES! Go Revolutionshipping! LOL. And yes, when people listen to Joey, they tend to do stupid things...like breaking into someone's house. Hehehe. TFR.

**Nicole: **Glad you thought the last chapter was great. And don't worry, any question you ask, I'll answer. I don't mind at all. Hehehe. Thanks for reviewing. And thanks for your dedication toward the story.

**Sayiangirl: **I like Yami/Tea, too! Oh...wait...you knew that already...well...uhh...hope you liked this chapter! It had a lot of hints. Oh yeah! The Jelly is getting hot again! LOL. TFR.

**Little Atemu: **Hmm...James Bond music...and Yami as James Bond...(drools) OH! Anywayz, yes! The Bakura's ass joke is going to be a constant joke used in every chapter. I think it's starting to get a tad old for some people, but I still love it. TFR.

**DesirePassion: **Umm...yeah...I think the last chapter, Bakura will find out about the joke. (laughs) He's going to be pissed! Sorry about the lack of S/S, I'm trying to think of a really good scene for them. No worries. Next chapter I'll have something. TFR!

**sweetmidnight: **(hides) Yeah, this chapter they were close, too...(whistles)...TFR

**C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only: **Hahaha...yes, Masa needs to die. He's time will come. Don't worry, he'll find out that it's not cool to mess with Tea and Yami. They belong together! TFR

**Starlet36: **Wahahaha...the message was kind of weird. But yeah, Masa needs to die. And yes, Bakura will feel violated by the time the story is over. Hahaha...I can't wait! TFR

**Silver Dragon: **Wow...that's some split personality...lol. And yes, Yami/Tea! WOO! I think I need to start a group for Yami/Tea fans. That would be awesome. Oh, anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. TFR.

**Luthien-Anwaman: **Hahaha...thanks Luthien! Yes, Yami should have left the message. He didn't know Tea liked him, though. Oh well. Hope you liked the J/M and Y/T! TFR

**Death Angel's Fate: **Wow! My first threat! Thanks for that, lol...well...I updated! Hope you liked. TFR.

**yugiohfan2005: **(dances) Yesh! You like my stories! WOO! Thanks much! TFR

**Bishounen Lover: **Hahaha...Masa is going back to his old ways. And wow, you're the only one that is happy that Yami deleted the message. LOL, well, thanks! And yes, Masa needs to die. Just not yet. I still need him. TFR.

**inuzgirl: **Wow! I haven't seen you around in awhile! Howz it been? Yeah! Glad you like the story! TFR!

**Funkygal-yamitea fan: **Hope you liked the Yami/Tea in this chapter! And yes, Masa is full of himself. He thinks every girl wants him. Yeah right. So anyway, TFR! See ya on the forum, girl!

**Hysterik-Angel: **Yeah, I'm turning this story into an insane-humor story. Hahaha. Oh well, I kinda like the idea of having the most unrealistic things happening to Yami and Tea. It's great. And yes, mostly everyone hates Masa. Don't join the cult! NOO! HYSTERIK! (coughs) Well, TFR!

**Amazoness Archer: **Hahaha! No problem! Your club is great! I would join, but I'm the one that created him...so...yeah! Anywaz, hope this chapter made you laugh! TFR

**killer109:**You'reWelcomeYou'reWelcomeYou'reWelcomeYou'reWelcomeYou'reWelcomeYou'reWelcomeYou'reWelcomeYou'reWelcomeYou'reWelcome! (laughs) TFR!

**AerinM: **Hahaha! Yes, Yami is kinda...uh...stupid. (shrugs) He's been hanging around Tristan and Joey too long. LOL! Anywayz, TFR!

**crystalblue: **Yup, I have uhh...plenty more ideas for them! (goes off to think) TFR!

**Sailor Star Universe: **I know! I won't be able to have a fanfiction life in college either. That's why I hope I get this story done before school starts. Well, good luck in college! Have a great summer! And TFR!

**chibineko: **Yami doesn't realize what..uhh...love is. He's really stupid, actually! But anyway, you want to kill Masa, too? Wow! Is he that bad? (falls anime-style) Well, TFR!

**KibumiWong: **Yeah! Yami/Tea forever! WOOO! Hehehe...TFR! PS: Don't kill Masa yet!


	10. Climbing The Walls

Disclaimer: Let's just nod and say I don't own YGO

A/N: Yes, I haven't in a LONG time. I'm aware. Please don't leave reviews like "OMG! YOU FINALLY GOT THE CHAPTER UP!" 'cause I've been trying really hard to think of ideas for this chapter. I even asked for outside assistance, but nothing seemed good enough to fit this chapter...

Title: _Just A Night_

Chapter 10: _Climbing the Walls_

**Monday, May 9th, 2005**

Third period. Five more periods to go...

Staring aimlessly at the many "educational" posters on the walls of his English class, Joey felt the urge to bang his head against the desk, _repeatedly_. His brown eyes averted to a particular poster on the wall that said: "All you have to do is try!" He groaned inwardly, putting a hand to his forehead.

"Try? Psh, all _I_ have to do is fart..." He whispered, although his words dispersed in-and-out the ears of many classmates. Tristan, one of the victims of Joey's vulgar words, nudged his buddy with his elbow.

"Let it rip, who knows? It might lead to a fire drill..."

Joey shot Tristan a smug look, then replied comically with: "You know the only ass that is on fire is Bakura's!"

Throwing his hands to his mouth, Tristan tried his best not to burst out laughing, but his hands couldn't force back laughter for a comment as funny as that. Joey joined in the laughter, that is, until the teacher walked down their aisle to see what the commotion was about.

"Is _Hamlet_ funny to you?" She asked, crossing her arms.

Joey and Tristan turned to each other, shrugging their shoulders. "It's not _Hamlet_, ma'am. I was just trying to console Joey about a problem he is facing."

"Why can't you discuss this after class?"

Tristan coughed, "well, ma'am, I'm afraid his problem will slip out before he gets out of the chair."

The teacher unfolded her arms. "What are you talking about? Are you doing something illegal?"

"His _ass_ is..." Tristan whispered, inaudible for the teacher to hear.

Joey got up really quick. "No, no! I just have..._bad _gas..." His cheeks flushed with embarrasment.

The whole classroom erupted with laughter. The teacher even couldn't hold back a chuckle at Joey's words. She quickly retained her composure to say: "Why don't you step outside the classroom and have a talk with the vice principal about appropriate behavior--gas or not." The laughter grew louder with the teacher's last sentence. "Mr. Taylor, why don't you accompany your friend." She turned to the rest of the class. "Does anyone else want to join them?" The class immediately grew silent. "Be on your way," she said, eyeing the two troublemakers.

Walking out the classroom, Tristan started chuckling. "That's one way to get out of English."

"Yeah, but we have to see the vice principal now...I heard it's this old dude who smells like lemons." Joey said, putting his hands into his pockets. Tristan yawned, not in the least bit scared of what the vice principal had to offer them.

"Here's his office." Joey said, pointing to a door with a gold frame in the middle with bold words inscribed in it. "Let's see...his name is Mr. Dolimus." He said, cocking his eyebrow up. "Dolimus? What kind of name is that?"

"It sounds like something you would yell while on the toliet. I can hear myself now 'Dollllllli..._MUS_!'..." Tristan said, groaning the "mus" part. Joey, although slightly taken back, started laughing uncontrollably.

It was then the two were startled by the class bell. "Well, I guess we don't have to go to his office anymore...you know...wouldn't want to miss fourth period!" Joey said, casually walking away from the office. Tristan followed, but was stopped by Kaname.

"Hey babe, my name isn't Elmo...but you can tickle me anytime you want to.."

Joey stopped, then turned around. "Dude...that's--" Before he could finish, a familar voice interrupted him.

"Hey guys!" Tea, accompanied by Yami, said. "How is your day?"

Joey stepped away from Tea. "Why are you so...perky today?"

Tea made a "hmph" noise, signifying that she wasn't being perky.

Joey laughed, "either you joined the cheerleading squad or you got a piece of Bakura's ass last night!" Tristan and Joey howled with glee at the remark, but Tea took it to heart and smacked Joey over the head.

Tea, now blushing furiously, tightened her grip on her American History book. She was restraining from hitting Joey into the locker. Joey had no shame, but that wasn't always a good thing. As she glanced over her shoulder, she could see that Yami was equally embarrassed and surprised. "Anyway...Kaiba has allowed me access to his yacht so I can see how many tables, chairs, and decorations we need for prom."

"What! Ooooh! I want to go!"

Tea eyed Joey. "Did you hear me? I'm going on _Kaiba's _yacht."

"Yeah, but where there's a yacht--"

"--there's food!" Tristan finished, slapping Joey some skin.

Tea shook her head. "Sorry guys, I already asked Yami to help me."

Seeing Tea glance at Yami, Tristan grinned and said: "Oh, I see what's going on..."

"What do you mean?"

Tristan looked over at Joey, who winked back. "Don't you think Masa will be jealous?"

"What...?"

_Ring_

"Well, that's the late bell...see you after school!" Joey said, dragging Tristan by the bookbag toward class.

Tea registered what he said. "Hey--I never said you could come!"

Joey turned around. "What did you say?" He cupped his ear.

"Fine...you can come...but only you..." She was about to turn around when she saw Tristan's sad face. "And you can bring Tristan, too," she added, letting out a sigh. "But, on one condition!"

"Oh Tea," Joey flicked his wrist, "we won't tell Masa you're going on a date with _Yummy_."

"What?"

Joey laughed. "Don't worry, I'll just tell Masa that you're staying after school to join the cheerleading squad." After he finished his statement, he threw his hands into the air and did a little cheer: "Yami! Yami! He's my man!"

Tea stood there, shocked, but then regained her composure to drop her books and run after Joey...

* * *

Standing in the parking lot, Tea looked around for her friends. "Where are they?" She looked at her watch. She had to be in front of Kaiba's yacht in about 10 minutes. Folding her arms, she suddenly felt something warm touch her shoulder. "Yami?" she asked, upon spinning around.

"Hey Tea, are you ready to go?"

She brushed a hand through her hair. "Well, I'm waiting for Joey and Tristan..."

"Oh, you didn't hear?" Yami asked, getting a confused look from Tea, "they got in trouble with the English teacher for not seeing the vice principal or something..." Yami shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh...well...I guess we should go then...no use waiting..."

Yami nodded, then proceeded to find his car.

* * *

"Where is Gardner?" asked Kaiba, pacing back and forth. He didn't like to wait.

"Oh Seto," a warm voice called out, "I'm sure she'll be here soon."

He turned to his girlfriend; a young girl with long, beautiful orange locks of hair. A smile then crept on his face. He could never hold a smile when looking into something so angelic. "Seren, you're beautiful... "

Serenity blushed, now looking down at the floor for comfort. "Seto..." She whispered, as Kaiba tilted her chin so he could look into her emerald eyes again. Her cheeks reddened with his eyes now searching her soul. "...I'm really glad to be with you."

He smiled, "I'm really glad to be with you, too." As he stared into her eyes, he felt a sudden vibration on his belt--his cell phone. Pulling away from her eyes, he went down to answer it. "What? What do you mean Kaiba Corps lost a share of Oxford stock?"

Serenity sighed as she watched the love of her life turn around and start walking to the other end of the yacht. She hated when he put business before her, but she couldn't be selfish. He did have a huge company to run...and she understood that. "But sometimes...I wish it was just the two of us..." Placing her elbows on the railing, she looked below to see her reflection in the water. As she looked to her right, there stood no one. To her left, no one. She gave another big sigh.

It was then a shout awakened her thoughts: "Serenity!" She looked toward the stairs that led up the yacht.

"Tea! Yami!" Serenity exclaimed, trying to sound as cheerful as possible. "Are you guys here to check out the dance room?" Tea nodded, while Yami looked into the water below him. "Well, I guess I'll show you...Se--Kaiba is quite busy now."

"Sure!"

* * *

"Damn, that vice principal does smell like lemons," Tristan commented, frowning at the thought.

Joey nodded. "Yeah, but at least the smell covered up the couple of farts I cut in there..."

"I know! Man, what did you eat? Everytime you laid one, I had the urge to put on my pirate hat and patch and yell 'thar he blows!'...haha, that would have been funny." This statement caused Joey to chuckle.

"Bro, the way I was going...I think I re-enacted Vietnam," he rubbed his bottom, "I just hope I have enough gas for my car." As they proceeded to go down the stairs, Tristan stopped in his tracks and looked at his friend.

"Wait, for your car? Please don't tell me you stick your ass in--"

"Hey boys," a feminine voice called out from the parking lot. Joey eagerly turned around to see the face of the girl he had been swooning over for years. He returned her greeting with a "hey" of his own. She smiled, "have you seen Tea?"

"She went on Kaiba's yacht; that's where we're headed...do you want to join us?"

Mai laughed, then looked into the rear view mirror to check her hair. "I already see that man at work...what makes you think I would want to see him _again_?" Joey nodded, obviously understanding her reason for bailing out. "Well," she added, "I guess I'll see y'all around!"

"Wait, Mai!" Joey exclaimed, now running toward her driver's door.

She looked up at him. "What's wrong? Did you see a sandwich?"

"Yeah...do you come with an order of fries?" Joey asked, giving a goofy grin.

Mai shook her head, "Joey...I could smack you right now--"

"Ooooh...where?"

Mai frowned. "I'll see you later..."

"Mai, I'm kidding! Really...you know how I get..." He laughed nervously, while Mai looked at her nails. "Actually...umm...I wanted to ask you something..." She looked into his brown eyes, and found sincerity within them.

"Okay then, shoot..."

Joey cleared his throat. "You see..."

* * *

"Wow...this is...big..." Her expectations for a yacht dance floor were meager, but when she saw the room, they were sent overboard. The dance floor was unbelieveable. Solid marble covered the floor, while marble/gold pillars lifted from the floor to the ceiling, and finished in a Doric style. The thing that amazed Tea the most was the view. Instead of a wall for the right side of the room, a big sheet of glass made the wall.

Yami, who was looking at the room from afar, glanced over at Tea...and her mystified expression. He couldn't help but smile, and almost be entranced by the way she stared at the room. She just looked so beautiful.

"About time you showed up, Gardner," a deep voice said from behind them. "And look, Serenity, I didn't know it was 'bring a bum' day on the yacht!" He glared at Yami, who glared back. Seeing no competition, he laughed and looked away from Yami's eyes. Serenity turned to Kaiba, giving him a "give him a chance" look, but he ignored her pleas.

"Kaiba, Yami's here to help me with prom preparation. He's not in any way a bum," Tea defended, trying not to sound too mean in the process. Kaiba was doing them a big-ass favor by letting them use the yacht AND giving the money he earned for prom tickets to the Game Shop.

He opened his mouth to say something, until however, he was tugged by Serenity out of the room. "What is your problem!" Kaiba exclaimed, looking into Serenity's green eyes. His thoughts finally registered that he shouldn't have said that.

"Seto, please, Yami and Tea are my friends. Could you just be a little nicer?"

Kaiba put a hand to his forehead, "listen, Seren...I'm sorry. I got carried away." He was about to wrap his arms around her when she walked back into the room, not giving him a second glance. He knew he screwed up.

* * *

"...I...uhh..."

Mai cocked an eyebrow up, "yes?"

"...uhh..."

"Joey, come on, just spill it out..."

"...I..want...uhh.."

"HE WANTS YOU TO GO ON A DATE WITH HIM!" Tristan shouted, giving his friend a pat on the back. Joey didn't move, he only stared at Mai as if he was caught in a trance.

"A date? Is this true, Joseph?"

"...uhh.."

"Yes," Tristan responded, "he wants to take you out...maybe this weekend?"

Mai put a finger to her chin. "I dunno..." She didn't really want to get any closer to Joey; she was already having a hard time determining how she felt about him. _'Wait...maybe this date will show me if I have feelings for him...' _She smiled. "Well, I guess Saturday after work would be okay. What do you think, Joey?"

"Yes, he'll pick you up after work." Tristan explained.

Mai nodded. "Alright, see you then..."

As she drove off, Tristan shook his head playfully at his friend. "You really know how to bag the ladies." Giving a playful nudge drove Joey away from his trance.

"...what happened?"

Tristan stared at him. "Dude, you just got a date with Mai Valentine."

"WHAT! REALLY!"

"Yup, thank you're good friend over here." Tristan pointed to himself, proudly.

"OH MAN! I COULD KISS YOU!" Joey leaned forward excitedly, while Tristan moved back.

"Whoa..." Tristan said, while backing away, "no thanks, man!"

Joey smiled, hands stretched out. "Come here!"

"Dude," Tristan walked down the steps, hands up defensively, "I don't want anything you're selling!"

"But...it's free!"

"Then I'll pay you not to touch me!" Tristan declared, walking at a fast-pace now.

"Just one kiss!"

"HERE!" Tristan shouted, handing Joey a ten dollar bill. "GO PAY SOMEONE ELSE TO KISS YOU!" He then ran away, not taking a second glance back. Joey only chuckled, looking at the money he earned.

"Thanks pal!" He then put it in his pocket, laughing."Lunchtime..."

Meanwhile, the only thing on Tristan's mind was: "I have to go find Kaname..."

* * *

"Yami, I'm sorry about that," Serenity apologized, her head lowered, "Seto is just--"

Yami shook his head. "Don't apologize on his behalf. I've known Kaiba long enough to know that this is the _only_ way we can talk to one another." He let out a chuckle, but this didn't satisfy Serenity. She was angry at Seto.

"Yami?"

Yami turned toward Tea. "What's up?"

"How many tables do you think we should have on this side?" She asked as he came over.

This left Serenity alone. Until Kaiba came back in, that is. "Seren...I'll try to be nicer..."

"Just like you tried to spend time with me this evening?" She asked, not looking at him. Her eyes then widened, now looking at him. "I'm sorry, don't answer that. I know you have so many things to do...I'm sorry..." She scurried out, not waiting for a response from Kaiba.

"SERENITY!" Only a few steps behind her, Kaiba left the room to Yami and Tea.

"What was that about?"

Yami shrugged his shoulders. "Not something we should--" Suddenly, the whole yacht jolted.

This caused Tea to trip over and fall into something. "Oomf!" she recovered, trying to push herself off of whatever she was on. She then blushed. Her hands were on...Yami's chest. She had fallen on Yami! Her blush reddened. "I...umm..." Looking up to apologize, she got lost in his violet eyes. Her favorite trait about Yami was his eyes. Everytime she looked at them she found a new mystery to solve. She loved it. She loved...him.

He stared back into her ocean-like eyes. Just the thought of being so close to Tea made his whole body grow numb. No other girl had ever done this to him. Maybe it was because after all these years, he never saw the spark of hope go out in her features. He loved it. He loved...her.

"I'm sorry..." Tea whispered, as she tried to find a way to stand on her own. This only made their lips closer. _'His lips are so inviting,' _she thought to herself as her eyes kept taking quick glances at his lips. Their lips drew closer...

_'I'm about to kiss Yami...I'm about to kiss Yami...I'm about to kiss Yami...I'm about to---"_

**"Sorry Mr. Kaiba, we were testing the engines for any problems that may have arised from our last sail. We hope we haven't caused any inconvenience to you or any one else." **

Standing up, Tea threw daggers at the intercom above them.

"Are you alright, Tea?"

Tea turned to Yami, remembering the moment they had just shared. "Yeah...thanks..."

* * *

"Please stop, Serenity!" She ceased her walking, but didn't look at him. "Look at me." She didn't look at him. "Serenity, look at me." She turned around to show little droplets hanging from her eyelids. "Serenity...don't cry..." He wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Kaiba, I was being selfish. I know you have a company to run--"

"Kaiba? Are we back to formalities already?" He said with a laugh. She didn't laugh. "Listen Serenity, I'm glad you told me that I wasn't spending enough time with you. The company is not my life...you are."

"Seto.." She said, wiping more tears.

"Here, come with me..." He took her hand in his and walked her off the yacht and on to the dock. "Now, I'm going to have to cover your eyes for awhile, okay?" She nodded, and he covered her eyes with his hands while guiding her down the dock.

"Do I get any hints?"

"Nope. Don't worry, we're almost there."

His steps now shortly slowing, Serenity felt that they were where he wanted to take her. "I wasn't supposed to show you this until prom night, but I think today is as good a day as any..." Pulling his hands away, Serenity stared at big gold letters on the side of the yacht. They spelled...S-E-R-E-N-I-T-Y...

"Seto..."

"I named the yacht after you. Just like being on water makes me feel alive...you make me feel alive as well. You are my Serenity." He said, his voice soft and contemporary. He could melt any heart with that voice.

"Can I cover _your _eyes now? I have something I was saving for prom night, too..."

His eyes were a bit skeptical, but he nodded. Covering his eyes with both hands, she took a quick step forward and covered his lips with hers. She then pulled her hands away once she received a positive response from him. He put his hands around her waist, while she put her hands on his sides. Their kiss was warm and pure, that is, it was only lips to lips. That didn't stop them from enjoying it, though. The sensation of warmth between their lips was enough to make the kiss magical.

"Thank you, Seto," she whispered, once they pulled away.

"Serenity...I...never kissed anyone before," he admitted, looking at her. "_Thank you_."

She smiled as they went in for another kiss under the clear, blue sky...

* * *

"Go Joey! Go Joey! I'm bad! I'm bad!" yelled Joey, as he walked down the street with pep in his step. "ALRIGHT! GO Joey! Uh! Uh! Who's bad!" He finished, one hand on his hip, while the other one was on the back of his head.

"Hey! Blondy!"

Looking toward the direction of the voice, Joey spotted Masa, sitting on top of his car. "The name's Joey, punk."

"Alright, alright. I'm not here to fight." He rose off the hood of his car. "You're one of Tea's friends, right?"

Joey folded his arms. "Ask her. Aren't you supposed to be the moron she's taking to prom?"

"You remembered. How sweet," Masa said with a laugh, "listen, do you know where she is?"

Joey wasn't going to tell him, but then again, it might make him back off of Tea. "She's with Yami."

"With Yemi? Pretty boy?" Masa's eyebrows narrowed. Then, "alright...thanks..." He then walked up to Joey and stuck out a dollar bill. "By the way, thanks for the dance earlier, I enjoyed it."

Growling, Joey got into his car. With one twist of his wrist, he started the car and backed up, but not before he grabbed the dollar out of Masa's hand and pulled all the way out of his parking space and drove off.

Masa smiled after him. Then, searching through his pocket, he found his cell phone. Flipping it open, he held down a key and put the receiver to his ear. It rang twice and then a man picked up. "Hey listen, I need you and I to take care of a little business."

"**Who do we need to take care of this time?**" The voice answered.

"They call him Yami Moto. Tall, slender, tri-colored hair. Think you can handle him?"

The voice laughed. **"Masazaku, what kind of person would I be if I couldn't? When do you want this done?**"

"Once I get my hands on some cash. Listen, I'll give you the details later." Hanging up the phone, he stuffed it in his pocket and smiled. "She's mine, Yami, and there's nothing...**nothing**...you can do about it."

* * *

To be continued...

Oh, no! Looks like Yami might be in some trouble! Expect an update soon! Yami/Tea and Joey/Mai in the next chapter! WOO!

_BIG THANKS TO: (sorry my responses are so short, I wanted to get the story up...it's been almost two months already, lol!) _

**peachi goddess: **I actually thought Tea wouldn't be Tea if she threw soda on Kyoko, but once I did it, I was like "oh, that bitch deserved it!" Hahahaha. Glad you liked the chapter. TFR

**AnimeFantasy Fan: **Hahaha...I've had many experiences with blondes...so I know how to write about them! (laughs) Yeah, I wanted them to kiss, too! And it's my story! Haha! Oh well, they're get their smooch on soon! TFR

**setoxserenity: **Well, hope there was enough S/S for you! TFR

**xxxShadow Angelxxx: **Yah! Masa can live another day! Well, until prom night anyway..lol...TFR!

**Bishounen Lover: **Hahaha...you didn't want S/S to kiss? Yeah, I wasn't too thrilled either...but I did it for the S/S fans out there. LOL, well, I hope to get Yami/Tea to open up more in the next chapter, so please look for that. TFR!

**Starlet36: **Oh man! You asked me to read your story! (smacks forehead) I LOVE READING YAMI/TEA STORIES! Thank you for telling me! I'll definitely read it soon! Sorry I forgot to read it! But anyway, glad you liked this chapter! TFR!

**Sayiangirl: **Glad you liked the chapter! Hope you liked this one! TFR!

**The Broken Bow: **Hahahaha...honestly, I use those pick-up lines, too! Ha ha! I'm so lame, lol...but I'm glad my stories not! TFR!

**SilverOtaku: **Hope you liked the suttle hints in this chapter, too! Go Yami/Tea! TFR!

**C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only: **Umm...I updated! (cough) TFR!

**svakee2000: **Uhh...you don't like Tea? Well then, I'm honored you're reading my story because it's mostly ABOUT Tea! Haha! What pairings do you like? TFR!

**chibineko: **I don't think I will have Tea as a blonde anytime soon! Haha! Glad you liked the chapter! TFR!

**Hysterik-Angel: **They'll kiss eventually...just not just yet. Got to make the moment just right for Yami/Tea, you know? LOL. TFR

**Daikaio: **Hey, how's your story going? I hope I haven't missed too much of it. Anywayz, glad you liked the chapter. Yeah, the message got deleted. Oh well. It's better that way, lol. TFR!

**xXR.I.PXx: **Wow...I was just writing your name...and...it's such a cool name! Hahaha! (falls off chair, too) Umm...glad you thought the Tea/Kyoko confrontation was good. TFR!

**Racegirl: **Hahaha...I'm always pushing your buttons, Racegirl! You're going to kill me for Masa, aren't you? (runs off) TFR!

**sweetmidnight: **I have no idea how Bakura will react when he realizes people are making fun of his rump. Oh well, I guess that's what's making the story so exciting. Hahaha! TFR!

**KibumiWong: **Glad you liked the chapter! Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! TFR!

**DesirePassion: **Hahaha...Tea should have beaten up Kyoko with a stick! Oh well...maybe at prom! Hahaha! TFR!

**AerinM: **Hahaha...Masa's just getting in the way of Yami/Tea...and you know what happens to Yami/Tea fans when someone gets in the way of their fav couple: CHAOS! DIE MASA DIE! (coughs) Oh, I'm done. hahaha. TFR!

**allidunno: **You can join the "Kill Masa Club" on my forum! It's under the fanfiction thread! Yeah! Everyone beat Masa! Hahaha! TFR!

**Shining Friendship: **Hey friend, sorry we haven't been talking as much. I was trying to get this chapter up...and it took forever, didn't it? Hope all's well with your story. And yah for Tea! Yup, we all knew she had it in her! TFR!

**Funkygal-yamitea fan: **Hahaha...your reviews always make me laugh. Don't kill me for Masa in this chapter! I tried to make up with Yami/Tea! LOL! TFR! See you on the forum!

**djanime2004: **Hope you liked this chapter! Wow, you loved all my stories? That's awesome! I LOVE YOU! Hahaahaha! TFR!

**brittishaccentluver: **Ah...you're a Ryou fan...hmm...I guess I should stop making fun of Bakura's ass, huh? Hahaha. Well, glad you liked the Yami/Tea! TFR!

**crystalblue: **Yeah, no one can imagine Tea in a blonde wig...haha...maybe I'll put her in a read next time...LOL! Just kidding! TFR!

**dawnmiko: **Oh, don't worry about reviewing all the chapters! I'm just glad you reviewed once! Glad you liked the chapter! TFR!

**AA: **Hahaha...yes...now you expanded it to the **KILL MASA AND KYOKO CLUB! **Hahaha...good luck with that! TFR

**Silver Dragon: **Wow...ummm...(stares at review)...if you want I'll give you first dibs to kill Masa and Kyoko! LOL! TFR!

**inuzgirl: **WOW! I haven't seen you online that much either! We SHOULD talk! Glad you liked the chapter! TFR!

**Sailor Star Universe: **Thanks! Hope you have a great time in college, too! Thanks for taking time to read my chapters! TFR!

**Shelby O'Connor: **Well...I updated! Hope you liked this chapter! TFR!

**TanukiChic313: **YEAH! MY STORY IS BRILLIANT! WOO! I LOVE YOU, TOO! LOL! TFR!

**sweet cookie dough: **Your name makes me hungry, can I eat you? HAHA! Kidding! OOH! You like Yami/Tea, too? Awesome! TFR!

**Von Stupor: **I updated before the 4th chapter of DA! YESH! Hahaha! Welp, glad you think the OCness works in this story! TFR!

**Shikon-Princess: **Wow, you loved every chapter thus far? WOW! THANKS! That's a big compliment! TFR!

**Laurelleaves: **Nope, that wasn't the last chapter! Got about 3 more chapters to go! Hang in there! TFR!


	11. Serious

Disclaimer: Oh, no!

A/N: Enjoy! It's a long read! My longest read...ever! WOO!

Title: _Just A Night_

Chapter 11: _Serious_

**Sunday, May 15th, 2005**

"WAKE UP, EVERYONE!"

Yami, who was sleeping on the floor, stirred for a moment, then gradually opened his eyes to see Joey standing over him in his boxers. "AH!" he yelled, while moving away from Joey until his back hit the couch. Between getting a lack of sleep because of playing video games until four, and Joey hovering over him with blue, Scooby-Doo shorts, he wasn't having a good morning.

"What the hell is your problem, Joey?" A groggy voice called from the other side of the couch. It was then a shark-like object slowly moved above the couch's head.

"Mmmmm...monster!" Joey shrieked, running behind the door for cover. "Yami! Hit it with a shoe or...something!"

Yami turned his head to see Tristan arise from behind the couch. "Joey, it's just Tristan."

"Oh," chuckling nervously, he emerged from behind the door, "I...knew that.."

"Moron," Tristan whispered under his breath. Then, scratching his neck, he said: "What's with the wake-up call?"

Joey beamed, happiness showing through the folds of his cheeks. "I'm going on...A DATE!"

"...and what does this have to do with us getting up?" Yami mumbled, while yawning uncontrollably.

"Guys...this isn't just any date! I'm going on a date with Mai Valentine!_ Mai Valentine_!" He zoned out for a minute, then continued his speech: "This isn't just a date...it's a...well...it's a date, but...it's a date with Mai!" Putting his hands on his hips, he nodded as if he had said something intelligent.

"Riiiiiight." Rising to his feet, Tristan stretched out his arms as much as they could go. Then, he collected his clothes and walked toward the door. "I'll see you guys later. I'm going to go get some sleep at my house." He then looked over at Joey. "Oh, and by the way..." He paused for a second to think about what he was going to say. Joey hoped for a "good luck," but he forgot that this was Tristan he was talking to. "...don't trip, buddy."

"Wait--Tristan! I need your help! Please!"

Tristan cocked an eyebrow up, but then burst into laughter and walked out the door.

Once the door closed, Joey turned to Yami with pleading eyes. "Yami, please, I need your help...now that Tristan is gone, you're my only hope." Knees bended, he shuffled toward Yami. "Please! I don't know the first thing about dates!"

"What about that date with Trinity Vega?"

"Lie."

"Nathalie LaRue?"

"Lie."

"Uhh...Edna--"

"ALL LIES!" Joey yelled, tugging at his hair in frustration. He only had told people that he had been on dates to ward off the suspicion that he was gay. "I've NEVER been on a date before, Yami! Please...help me!"

"...uhh...well...I could try..." Yami said, scratching the back of his head.

Joey threw a fist into the air. "Thanks! I owe you _big_ time! How about a 99 cents cheeseburger on me?"

"Umm...no thanks.."

"Come on, I'll throw in some fries..." Joey said, using his persuasive voice.

"Nah," Yami said, but quickly added, "another time. Listen, it's one o'clock...doesn't Mai get out of work at four?"

Joey looked at his watch, then gasped. "You're right! I have to take a shower!"

Once Joey disappeared into the bathroom, Yami smiled and put his head back on the pillow. "...while he's showering, I'll just take a..." he didn't get to finish his sentence because once he closed his eyes, he was out like a light.

* * *

"Serenity, this isn't working...all the prom dresses I've tried on are either too big and show my boobs or too tight and guess what? SHOW MY BOOBS!" Tea shouted, not realizing that people were staring at her. It wasn't really her fault, she was getting frustrated. Prom was in a week, and as Serenity and her went through every store in the mall, she couldn't find anything that would suit her tastes.

"Tea, it's fine," Serenity whispered, "look...let's try that store over there!"

Tea stared at the store Serenity was pointing to. It didn't look like much, but at this point, Tea was desperate. _'Desperate times call for desperate measures,' _Tea thought as they walked into the store. A bell sounded above them and a lady immediately rushed to their assistance.

"Can I help you?"

Tea was used to this by now and answered with: "We're just looking."

"Oh," she said, "anything in particular?"

"A prom dress," Serenity answered before Tea could chew out the women.

The store clerk nodded. "We have some in the back you can look at, but..." She looked Tea up and down. Then, "I don't think we'll have any in your size. Do you still want to look?"

_'They don't have any in my size? What's that supposed to mean? I'M NOT FAT!' _She looked at herself quickly, then stopped at her butt. _'I may have an ass like Bakura's, but I AM NOT FAT!' _She smiled sweetly at the store clerk, then walked to the back.

"You're alright, Tea?"

"Hmm?" She turned to Serenity. Then, "oh! I'm great! Yup, just randy-dandy!" The answer she gave sounded like she was in a kindgarten class, but she didn't care. She was tired, hungry, and ready to lash out at anyone that looked at her the wrong way. Couldn't they see that she needed a prom dress!

"What about this one?" Serenity asked, touching a long, black dress by its hanger.

Tea gave one quick look, then shook her head. "Too black.."

"Well, it _is_ a black dress..." Serenity mumbled to herself, hoping Tea couldn't hear her. She didn't. With a soft sigh, Serenity continued to scour around for any dress in Tea's size. _"This is going to take longer than I thought.." _

* * *

"Alright," putting on a wrinkled, white t-shirt, Joey sat on the couch across from Yami. "What do I need to know?"

Yami rubbed his eyes, still tired from the night before. While Joey was in the shower, he managed to get fifteen minutes of shut-eye, but the rest of the time was succumbed to Joey's horrible, off-key singing. "Umm...well...what are you going to wear?"

Joey looked down at himself. "...this, why?"

"That? Joey, if you're going on a date with Mai, you have to look groomed..." Practically forcing himself off the couch, Yami walked toward his closet and opened it to find empty hangers and a mound of comics in the middle. "Joey...do you hang your clothes?"

"How do you _hang _clothes?"

"Nevermind," Yami whispered, now looking through his drawers. As he rummaged through Joey's drawer, he came across a pair of beige pants. "These are good, but now we have to find a top..." Opening another drawer, he looked for a decent-looking shirt. Nothing. "Uhh..." He turned around and looked at Joey. "Where are your shirts?"

"Around..."

Yami sighed. "Let's just stick with the one you--" He looked at the wrinkles in the shirt. Then, "--actually, take it off and we'll have it ironed." Once he said that, Joey stared at him as if he had three heads. "...do you have an iron?"

"An...iron?"

Yami slapped a hand to his face. "_Alright_...we have to do it the old-fashioned way then. Take off the shirt and sit on it." Although getting a weird look, he obeyed without any protest. "Now then, your hair..."

"WHOA! NO ONE TOUCHES THE HAIR!" yelled Joey, protectively covering his blond locks.

_'Now I know why Tristan left..' _Yami thought, sitting across from Joey now. Joey was turning out to be more trouble than anything else. He couldn't believe how clueless Joey was when it came to girls. "Now, where are you going to take her?"

"The arcade sounded like a good spot.."

Yami was ready to slap himself. "You never take a girl a place _you _want to go," the once-Pharaoh countered. That was rule #1 when it came to taking a girl out. _'Heck, I'm a reincarnated Pharaoh and I know this!' _

"Well...umm..." Scratching his neck, Joey couldn't find the right words to say. "I don't really know this...Serenity and Tea are the only girls I really hang out with." He lowered his head, a little embarassed.

Yami sighed, but then...an idea came to his head. "Tea! She could help you! She's practically Mai's best friend!" Digging in his pocket, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed her number...

* * *

"PULL!"

"I'm _trying_!"

"PULL HARDER!"

Tea had finally found the perfect dress. It was dark blue, strapless, and had intricate silver designs around the bust. She had fallen in love, but the only problem was..."PULL!"...it was a size too small. The dress slipped on perfectly until it reached her chest. That's where the fabric tightened against her skin and the zipper wouldn't zip all the way.

"Girls, do you need any help in there?"

Tea held on to the sides of the fitting room wall. "_No, _we're...good..." she squealed out, as Serenity tried again and again to pull the zipper all the way. "Just a little more..." Tea breathed, trying her best to push in her chest.

"I...can't...it won't go anymore..." She wiggled the zipper as much as she could, but it wouldn't budge.

Tea sighed (although she couldn't get much of a breath out), then nodded in defeat. "It was worth a try..."

"I'm sorry, Tea," Serenity said, now zippering the dress the opposite way so Tea could take it off. She then added: "I know how much you liked the dress. Maybe we can find something like it."

"Yeah," Tea said, throwing her shirt over her head and pulling up her jeans. Once she had her shoes on, they walked out of the stall together with the dress in hand. "Oh well.." Tea said, putting the dress on the rack. "Let's go check out another store.."

Walking toward the exit, they were stopped by a familiar voice. "Ladies?"

"Yes?" Tea answered, turning around to meet the eyes of the sales clerk.

"We have another order of prom dresses coming in next week. I can reserve the dress you were trying on. Just give me the correct size you need." She pulled out a pen and paper.

Tea beamed, then replied: "Oh wow...that would be great..." For a moment, she was lost in her own thoughts. She couldn't believe her luck. It was then she remembered that the woman was waiting for her to answer. Giving the women her name, number, and size, Tea found herself walking out the store with a smile no one could turn around.

"Oh Tea, this is so great!" Serenity said, sharing in her friend's happiness.

"Yeah, we should--" It was then her cell phone went off. "Sorry, hold on..." Opening her bag, she pulled out her cell phone and looked at the number. "I don't recognize the number. Probably some stupid telemarketer..." She threw it back in her bag and said: "So, what do you want to do?"

"Let's go get something to eat," Serenity suggested.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Tea said, as they both laughed and walked to the food court..

* * *

"Hmm..Tea's not picking up," Yami said, ending the call, "I guess she's busy..."

"I guess so--oh, no! Yami, it's already 2:15! I have to leave in less than two hours!"

"It's alright."

"It is? I don't even know where to take her!"

Yami nodded, now pacing around the room. "Alright, first, you're going to ask her if she's hungry. If she is, take her out to a diner. Nothing fancy, just any old diner. If she's not, cut straight to something fun...the movies or Domino's theme park is good."

Joey stared at Yami, trying to retain all the advice he could. "Should I...kiss her on the first date?"

Yami stopped, not expecting a question like that. "Uhh...well...to be honest.." He didn't know. He'd been out with girls, but he never considered any of them dates. They were just...friendly outings. "...if you really feel that she thinks of you as a friend, you shouldn't kiss her," was the best advice Yami could give his friend. It was the most practical, too. Wouldn't want to ruin a friendship because of your own dirty desires..

Just like when he wanted to kiss Tea...

"Yami?"

Dazed, Yami turned to his friend and asked: "How's your shirt?"

"Uh..." Lifting his butt, he pulled the shirt from under him. "It's...kinda _warm_..."

Yami laughed at his friend's first thoughts. Then, "Well, the wrinkles are out. Put it on."

Joey obeyed. "Okay...so...we got the clothes down. I know where to take her. Anything else?" He asked, pulling his black pants over his boxers. He then stood up to put his dog-tag necklace over his neck. "I feel...ready..." He said to his reflection in the mirror. He turned around and smiled. "Thank you, Yami. All I needed was a little help."

"A _little _help?" Yami joked.

"Ha ha ha," Joey said, sarcasm in his tone. "Anyway...now what to do? It's 2:35 now."

Yami shrugged his shoulders. "Well...I'm going to take a shower and get dressed. Do you mind giving me a ride over to Tea's house?" He asked, getting a wide grin from Joey. He raised an eyebrow, then realized why Joey was so happy. "**No**, Joey. Nothing's going on."

"I thought I was bad with Mai..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked the violet-eyed teen.

Joey shook his head. "Nothing..._chicken_..." he coughed out the last part.

"I heard that," Yami said, "I'm not a chicken. We're just friends. By the way, who are you calling chicken? You couldn't even ask Mai out on a date! What's up with that?"

"...I...was waiting for the right moment!"

Yami laughed. "Mhm...I bet that's what it is." He then grabbed his towel and headed for the bathroom. "Oh, and since we're on our way to Tea's house, there's a flower shop on the corner. It may sound cliche, but all girls love flowers."

"Flowers...right..."

Yami shook his head playfully and shut the door behind him.

* * *

"Wow, I needed that," Tea said, now exiting the food court with her friend.

Serenity nodded. "I know. Guys don't realize that shopping is a fierce sport."

"That's for sure," Tea laughed. It was then her cell phone rang again. "Who is it this time?" Pulling out her cell phone, she looked at the screen. "Oh, it's Mai. Hold on." Pulling up her antenna, she answered the phone.

"**Hey hun, what are you doing?**"

"Nothing much, just finished some serious shopping. How's work?"

"**Actually, I finished early, but I can't leave because Joey's supposed to be picking me up.**"

"...oh, you're going on a date! That's right!" Tea said, with a giggle. She heard a sigh on the other end.

"**Tea, I'm not really looking forward to this. I mean, I want to know if...I like him, but is this the way?**"

Tea rolled her eyes, luckily her friend couldn't see. "Listen, just enjoy yourself. Don't think of it as a date. Just think of it as an outing with a friend." She reasoned, although she could hear another sigh from her friend.

"**I'll try...thanks...**"

"Alright, I'll see you later.." Tea then hung up the phone and looked at Serenity. "She's totally in love with your brother. She's just holding herself back. I don't know why."

"Reminds me of someone I know," Serenity teased.

Tea looked over at her friend. "What?"

"Nothing...come on, let's go home!" Serenity said to her confused friend.

"...okay." Tea said, following her friend out the store.

* * *

"Thanks Joey," Yami said, getting out the car. Then, closing the door, he said: "have fun on your date. Remember, don't see it as a date. If you do, you'll get nervous." He winked.

Joey nodded. "Right. What kind of flowers should I get?"

"You're on your own with that."

"Yami!"

"Sorry pal, I can't help you. When you're picking out the flower, just think about her."

"Alright, thanks," Joey said, "see ya!" Putting the car into drive, he drove down the road, leaving Yami with a cloud of dust. Yami let out a sigh and turned around to stare down Tea's house. It was _his _turn to face his fear.

"Let's do this." Moving his legs forward, he walked up to her door and knocked twice.

Silence. He knocked again. Silence. He tried the bell. Silence.

"Hmm...maybe she's not home..."

"Yeah," a voice said from behind, "I tried already."

Yami turned around to meet Masa's eyes. He forced a smile. "Oh, really? Well, I'll try again later." He tried to walk past Masa, but Masa brought a hand to his chest to stop him. Yami stared down at his hand in disgust.

"Hold on, Yemi, it's time you and I had a talk."

Yami wrapped a hand around his wrist and pulled a hand away from his chest. "Let's start with you getting my name right. It's Yami." He said, now glaring at him. This only made Masa's smile grow wider.

"Come now, let's take a walk."

"What gave you the impression that we could be friends?"

"Ah, not friends," Masa chuckled, "let's just call us...men on good terms."

"Riiight...see you around." Something about Masa made the hair on his arm stand up. As he walked down the street, he could feel eyes on him. Was it Masa again? Turning around, it wasn't Masa. It was a tall, dark-haired teenager. "Can...I help you?"

"I heard you're giving my friend a little trouble," the teen replied. He then tilted his head at Masa, who was standing behind him. Yami glared at Masa. He knew something was up.

"That's between Masa and I," Yami answered, "now, if you'll excuse me--"

Masa laughed. "Do you actually think you're walking away from us...unharmed? Come now, Yami. You're trying to take my woman away from me, how could I take kindly to that?" He stepped in front of his friend and pushed Yami. "Well?"

"Your woman? Tea?" Yami saw a glint of anger appear in Masa's eyes. "Listen, Tea is no one's property--"

"You think you can take us?" Masa shoved Yami again. "Well? Come on, show me what you got." He shoved Yami harder, landing him into the wall of some building. "Hit me! HIT ME, YAMI!"

"I will not. You have not done anything to make me hit you."

"Oh yeah? How about this"--He punched Yami in the face--"huh? Do you want more?" He punched Yami again, now drawing blood from his lower lip. "Why won't you fight me? You know you won't win? Huh?" He used his other fist to punch Yami in the gut.

Yami groaned and fell to his knees. "I...will not fight you."

"Damn it," Masa cursed, "Saru, take care of this bastard."

Saru started kicking Yami hard in the stomach. Yami wouldn't block his attacks. He wouldn't fight back. "Boss, this aint working. I got better plans for this suckah." Putting a hand in his pocket, he pulled out a pocket knife.

"Good," Masa said, staring at the weapon. "Just bring him in the alley so no one can see you."

Saru put the knife back into his pocket. "I'm going to enjoy this..."

* * *

Yugi pressed his hand against the glass of the Game Shop window. "Soon, we'll have you back..." He whispered as he took his hand away and stared into the empty building. It was depressing to see the shop as desolate as it was, but he knew it was only temporary.

Sighing, he gave one last quick glance and continued to walk down the sidewalk. _'Maybe I'll visit Joey,' _he thought. Ever since Yami started going to the school, he spent less and less time with the gang because he thought they liked Yami better than him. It _was _true. Joey, Tristan, and Yami seemed inseparable. And he was sure Tea thought more about Yami than him.

_'You know the fight between you and Yami is more based on jealousy...' _His inner conscious whispered. He shook his head. He wasn't jealous...was he? Yami was always better in everything he thought he was best in. Yami had the looks, the height, and even the deep voice to make the ladies swoon over him. He even had the talent to get a job at Kaiba Corps. _'Hmm...and you say you're not jealous..' _

"I'm not jealous!" He yelled, not realizing his thoughts blurted out of his mouth. He looked around to see if anyone heard him. No one was in sight. Sundays were always slow in Domino. The place was a ghost town. "Well, except for over there..."

Staring ahead, he saw two guys standing over a man, who was now leaning lifeless against the wall. "Wait...they're hurting him!" Fastening his pace, he took a closer look at the man on the floor. His features looked familiar. Too familiar. A replica of him, almost. "Yami..." He whispered, now stopping in his tracks. Why wasn't he fighting back?

_'You have to stop them..' _

_'No, he deserves it. Walk away.' _

"No! No one deserves that treatment!" Running forward, he waved his arms frantically above him. "STOP!" He didn't know if he was being dumb or brave. Maybe it was a mixture of both. He didn't care...he had to help Yami--no matter their current circumstances..

* * *

"What the...?" Saru looked at the boy. Was he talking to him? He listened to what the boy was screaming. He was telling him to stop. "Get out of here, kid! This has nothing to do with you!" Saru shouted angrily. The boy didn't stop running. "Masa...what am I going to do with him?"

Masa put a hand over his eyes to see the boy's features. "Crap...that's Yugi Moto."

"Wait...Moto? Aren't these two brothers?" He stared down at Yami, then back up at the boy.

Masa growled. "Yeah...don't worry. Finish your job. I'll take care of him.."

* * *

"STOP! STOP! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Yami slowly opened his eyes, but he found it hard to keep them open. "Oh man..." He mumbled, now trying to pick up his head. Everything hurt...what happened? Once he had his head half-way up, he saw two men hovering over Yugi. "No.." he managed to get out. They were going to hurt Yugi like they did him. "Yugi...run..." He said weakly. Yugi didn't hear him. Hell, he couldn't even hear himself.

"DON'T HURT HIM! DON'T--" He heard Yugi yell before he was slammed into the pavement.

"No.." Yami mumbled. He looked at Yugi, who was struggling to get up. "NO!"

Masa and Saru stared down at Yami and smiled. "Oh, so you're up? Good...show him some more!"

Saru grabbed Yugi by the neck and slammed him back down into the pavement. The both of them laughed as they watched Yugi still trying to get up. "He's just as stubborn as you, Yemi." Masa commented, now putting a foot on Yugi's back and pushing him back down. "I could crush him right now, and there's nothing you can do about it..."

Yami's anger started building. "Wrong!" Pushing himself off the floor, he brought himself to his feet. "You just gave me a reason to kick your asses!" He clenched his fist, ready to meet their faces.

"Ha ha...you're weak! There's no way you can take on the both of us!"

Yami started to build his rage into his fists. "You have _no _idea what I'm capable of!" Running forward, he punched Masa across the face, then used his remaining anger to knee Saru in the stomach. Both lost their balance, but weren't knocked out for the count.

"You'll pay for that!" Masa yelled, wiping his lip with his sleeve. "Saru, get him!"

Saru ran forward and tried to hit Yami, but Yami dodged easily. "You shouldn't even be able to stand now, let alone fight back!" Saru remarked, his voice cracking from utter alarm. He knew those kicks to his stomach should have cracked a couple of ribs, and yet...Yami was still standing. "What the hell are you?"

Masa, who was now standing _behind_ Saru, yelled: "What are you waiting for!"

Nodding, Saru clenched a fist and ran toward Yami...

...Yami, who predicted the attack, held his fist back and angrily flung it forward at Saru's face. Before Yami's fist met Saru's face, a dark haze fell over Saru and Masa and they instantly fell back. Shocked, Yami slowly moved his fist back and opened his hand. "...what?" He felt the millennium powers he once had flow through his hand in that attack. He turned his hand over, "how?" He then looked down at Saru and Masa, who were staring at him in fear.

"I'm outta here!" Saru yelled, picking himself off the ground and running down the block.

Masa only sat there, frozen. "Y...ou...FREAK!" Crawling to his feet, he glanced at him one last time before running past him and down the street. Yami only watched him, in utter amazement himself.

Then, all of a sudden, he felt weak and fell to his knees. "Yami!" A voice called from behind him. It was Yugi. Yami could hear his feet plodding toward him. "Yami, are you alright?"

"I...feel very weak," Yami mumbled, putting his two hands on the ground.

Yugi grabbed his torso and pulled him up. "Come on, Yami, we have to get you help..." Sensing that Yugi was having trouble moving him because of his weight, Yami tried to move his feet as best as possible.

"Tea's house is right there, maybe she could help," Yugi whispered, but his thought was interrupted by Yami:

"She's...not there..."

Yugi groaned, now walking past her house. _'The hospital is about a mile away...I could--' _It was then he saw a brunette crossing the street ahead and walking toward him. Even from far away, he could tell it was Tea. _'Thank Ra...' _

* * *

_'I can't believe I finally got my prom dress!' _With a smile, she carried herself down the block in deep thought. _'But now I need shoes, a purse, a--IS THAT YAMI?' _Her legs froze over, now staring at the sight of Yugi carrying a very bruised Yami down the street.

"Yugi! OH MY GOD!" She yelled, running over to help support Yami. Then, "What happened!"

"He got jumped by M--" Yugi started.

"--a street thug. He wanted my wallet," Yami interrupted, his voice coarse.

Tea gasped, wide-eyed. "Come on, let's take him to my house!"

* * *

"...so he beat you up because you tried to walk away from him? That's horrible!" Tea said, her hands moving Yami's head around to see if there was any severe damage on his face. "Did you at least get a good look at him?" Turning away from Yami for a second, she took a cotton ball of peroxide and gently rubbed his cheek, where a small abrasion had formed.

"I...he was hooded," Yami lied, closing his eyes as he felt the coldness of the peroxide against his cheek. "I couldn't get a good look at him at all. If I called the police now, they wouldn't think much of it because I didn't even get a description of the guy."

"Yeah, but you should still call and tell them there's a person this desperate for cash on the streets," she pulled her hand away from Yami. Then, "how did you manage to escape then?"

"Oh...Yugi saved me..."

"Yugi?" She turned around and looked into her best friend's eyes. He nodded. "Wow...how did you do that?" He explained to her that he stepped-in just about as the thug was going to stab him. Tea gasped, "oh Yugi! That was very brave of you!" Yugi blushed.

She then turned her attention back to Yami, "alright, do you want to lay down now?"

"Yes," he nodded, "thank you, Tea...ow.." As he moved, his side started to hurt.

"Yami? Does it hurt there?" She asked, receiving a nod. Then, "let me check it out."

He nodded and pulled his shirt off slowly. Tea's cheeks reddened upon seeing Yami's perfectly-sculpted frame. _'Come on, Tea, snap out of it!' _Breaking out of her daze, she reached over and touched his chest to feel if anything was broken. Her cheeks flushed more.

"I...I...don't think you broke anything," she said quickly, "here, let me go get some ice.." Pulling away from him, she scurried off to the kitchen. She was as red as a tomato. "Tea, it's okay, you'll be fine."

_'Psh, who could ever recover from seeing a chest such as marvelous as that?' _

Tea shook off the other voice in her head. "Stop thinking about his chest!"

_'What I wouldn't give to hold my body against that..' _

"NO!" Tea yelled, wrapping some ice around a paper towel. "I shouldn't be thinking about him like that! He's injured and he needs the help of me and Yugi to get him well again." She waited for a response, but the other voice in her head said nothing.

Stepping back into the living room, she handed Yami the ice--without looking at his chest--and told him that she was going to go in the other room so he could rest and lie down. "Just get some rest. And you can stay here all night if you want, mom and dad won't be home for the next couple of days." She turned to Yugi. "You can stay as long as you like, too." Yugi beamed at her.

"Thank you, Tea, I really appreciate everything you have done," Yami said.

Smiling, she leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. "Get some rest." She then walked out the room. _'I can't believe you actually kissed him! Tea Gardner kissed Yami!...on the forehead, but still! It's a kiss!' _For a second, she felt like doing Joey's "I'm bad! I know it! I'm bad!" dance, but she resisted the urge.

Meanwhile, Yami, now lying on the couch, was staring at his palms. He still couldn't understand what had happened.

"Maybe the puzzle wasn't the only thing that granted you shadow powers," Yugi said, reading Yami's mind. "You could have awakened the powers you once had as Pharaoh through your anger."

Yami's eyes found a reflection of their own in Yugi's orbs. "Whatever I awakened, it was strong."

"Yeah," Yugi stood up, "well, I'm going to get going."

Yami struggled to sit up. Then, "No, _please_. Stay. I want to talk to you."

"I don't think it's best that we have this conversation now. A lot of things happened between us."

Yami shook his head. "I know, but it's been so long--please stay."

"Alright," Yugi said, but walked toward the other room. "Get some rest first, though."

"You'll be here when I wake up?" Yugi nodded, then walked out.

Yami put his head back down on the pillow and closed his eyes. "Thank you.."

* * *

To be continued...

Yeah! This chapter is finished pretty quick! **What to look for in the next chapter:** Joey and Mai's date; Yugi and Yami open up

_THANKS TO: (I know there is a petition around to stop these, but has not officially made it illegal! CAN TAKE OUR REVIEWER RESPONSES, BUT THEY CANNOT TAKE OUR FREEDOM!') _

**cutehelenjames: **Masa is VERY evil, I'm sure you can tell by this chapter (lol) Well, glad you like the story! TFR!

**Starlet36: **I still have to read the other chapters to your story! I'll get to them shortly! Sorry, college is very time-consuming. Anyway, I'm really glad you like the Joey/Mai and Yami/Tea! TFR!

**Luthien-Anwaman: **Glad you enjoy the Bakura's ass joke still, ahahaha. Oh! You're going to love the next chapter with Joey, his pickup lines, and more ass jokes! Hahaha. Anywayz, TFR!

**inuzgirl: **Oh wow, I changed your perspective on Serenity and Seto? Cool! Well, I'll try to hit you up on AIM when I get the chance because my email address isn't really working right. Stupid Verizon! Hahaha, anyway, glad you like the story. TFR!

**Elfbrat18: **Aww...that was such a nice review! I'm really happy you enjoy the story! I'm smiling like crazy right now, lol. Oh, you write stories? What kind of stories do you write? Oh btw, TFR! WOOOOOOO!

**xXRoseGoddess874Xx: **Yes, Yami and Tea forever! TFR!

**dawnmiko: **Yeah, this story is like a soap opera...oh well! It's fun! Hahaha! TFR!

**Darkhope: **Hahaha...yeah...Tristan asking out Mai for Joey was funny! Tee hee! Oh man, I sound as bad as Tea did as a blond. Hahaha. TFR!

**Shining Friendship: **Hey friend! Hahaha, still don't like the S/S? I can't blame you! I have a hard time writing it sometimes, too. Anyway, yeah! Yami and Tea! I'm glad you're still a big fan of them together! Oh, new episodes Saturday! I'm so excited! TFR

**C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only: **Hahaha, I used to watch Inuyasha. But, Hojo isn't as bad as Masa! He's pretty close, but at least he doesn't have the mafia behind him. Hahahaahaha! Well, TFR!

**Daikaio: **Aww...I have to read the rest of your story! BTW, on the topic of your story, I've been saying "OMG! THE SEAGULLS ARE PLANNING AN ATTACK!" a lot. My mom thinks I'm crazy. Hahahaha. Well, glad you like this story so much that you get into a bad mood if you can't read it. LOL, TFR!

**xxxShadow Angelxxx: **Oh, no! Don't kill him! Actually, wait...he beat up YAMI! KILL HIM! TFR

**SilverOtaku: **Hahaha...thanks for another great review! Glad you love the story! Hahaha...TFR!

**AnimeFantasy Fan: **Oh man, I should have used Bandit Keith! Oh well, Saru was pretty evil. Yah! You like the romance! I'm so happy! TFR!

**svakee2000: **Ah, very cool pairings. They'll be J/M in the next chapter! WOOO! TFR!

**sweetmidnight: **Oh yeah! Joey's awesome with the humor! And yeah, no one deserves to be killed...except Masa! Ha! TFR!

**Cheese: **Cheese is good! Mmm...you got me hungry! Hahaha...glad you like the story! TFR!

**Sailor Star Universe: **Oh wow, you start college already? Wow! I still got two weeks! I'm trying to finish this story before college starts, but I don't think I can. I got at least three more chapters. Anyway, I'm really happy you enjoy reading this story! TFR!

**Amazoness Archer: **Yeah! Bad intercoms! Hmm...you actually gave me an idea...WEEE! Hahahaa! Have fun with the "Kill Masa and Kyoko club" TFR!

**sweet cookie dough: **WOW! You wrote two long reviews! (falls) You're awesome! WOW, they were very nice reviews, too! Hahaha, oh, I live in New York. Yeah, pretty far from the Carribbean Islands. Tee hee. Well, thanks again for the awesome reviews. I loved reading them. I'm really glad you see me as an awesome writer. Makes my smile wider! Haha! TFR!

**chibineko: **Yah! You liked the "almost kiss"! Me too! WOOO! Hahaha! TFR!

**Desiree: **Yeah! Glad you liked the chapter! YIPEE! Hahaha...TFR!

**KibumiWong: **I hope you liked the Yami/Tea in this chapter! I'm glad to see a fellow Yami/Tea fan! TFR!

**aznengel: **Woo! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! TFR!

**Von Stupor: **I hate you, too! Hahaha...just kidding, BEST FRIEND! Wow, the last chapter almost made you consider...join the club? Wow, I think I feel a tear! I'm so proud! Hahaha...well...hope you still like the story! TFR!


	12. Smooth Criminal

Disclaimer: BIG BUG GO SQUASH NOW...oh, and I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

A/N: Okay, I don't have an excuse for delaying this chapter so long. Honestly, my passion for writing YGO fanfics is diminishing, but I ALWAYS finish a story, and I will finish this one. No matter what.

A/N(2): I don't really know the law too well, so excuse me for any errors

A/N(3): I'm not making fun of French people, lol

Title: _Just A Night _

Chapter 12: _Smooth Criminal _

**Sunday, May 15th, 2005 (that night) **

"Excuse me, officer?" Tristan addressed, staring at the man in uniform behind a desk. The man looked up from his newspaper, but didn't speak. "I'm here to see a Mr. Wheeler and a Ms. Valentine," Tristan continued, adjusting his shirt to look more professional. He had rushed over to the police station after receiving an urgent call from Joey.

The silent officer simply pointed to his collegue, who was positioned before a brass door. Tristan walked over and repeated his statement that he had so briefly stated to the other officer. This officer, however, gave him a verbal answer: "Follow me."

Turning around, the officer pulled out a set of keys, then used one to open the brass door. He then walked in, closing the door behind him. "Your friends are this way."

The officer walked past the many tiny cells that only demanded a bunk bed and a toilet. Tristan grimaced as he glanced at the conditions of the cells. They were filthy, grimy, and desolate. Who would want to end up in here? _'Apparently Mai and Joey,' _Tristan thought as they continued to walk by the empty cells.

Finally, he saw them...arguing. Tristan sighed; even in conditions such as these, they still managed to fight. They were meant for one another. "Alright Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler," the officer said, "you have a visitor."

Mai glanced at Tristan, then back at the officer. "For the record, we're not married."

"Yeah, she's an old bag," Joey whispered, folding his arms.

"EXCUSE ME!"

The officer shook his head, then glanced over at Tristan. "You get 15 minutes, but then again, that might be too long with these two." He then walked off, his shoes resounding off the floor.

Once Tristan heard the brass door shut behind the officer, he said: "Okay...what happened?"

"Well," Joey sighed, "we need you to bail us out."

Tristan cocked an eyebrow. "Couldn't Mai have done that?"

"Umm..." Joey started.

Mai rolled her eyes. "We were granted two phone calls. I was going to call my bank so they could make the transaction, but instead," she glared at Joey. Then, "this one over here decides to call you...and then the local pizza parlor."

"Listen, it's not my fault those donuts up front got me hungry!"

"I _swear_ you have the mind of Bakura's ass!"

"Oh yeah? Well, Bakura's ass doesn't even HAVE a mind!"

"My point exactly," Mai whispered, shaking her head at Joey's stupidity.

Before they could go any further, Tristan asked, "so...how did you guys end up here? I mean, I don't see you two as troublemakers..."

"Well...we were at a nudist convention when..."

"Joseph!" Mai yelled, making Joey wince at his real name. Then, "Tell him the truth!"

Sighing, Joey sat on the bottom bunk of his bed. "I guess I'll start from the beginning..."

* * *

Pulling his car into Mai's driveway, he put the car in PARK and exhaled a deep sigh. "This is it," he whispered to himself as his eyes caught his reflection in the rearview mirror. He stared into it for several minutes, unsure of the way he looked...he just wanted to be perfect for Mai.

Lowering his head in sadness, his eyes met a beautiful mess of lillies on the passenger's seat. He smiled blissfully, remembering how he saw Mai's eyes in the lillies when he walked into the flower shop. He just had to buy them; everything about them just oozed Mai Valentine--the love of his life.

Stepping out of the car, he brushed off his clothes and fixed his hair.

"Wow...is that Joseph Wheeler?"

Smiling at the sound of her voice, he turned his head to say something, but was immediately caught off guard by what she was wearing: a leather skirt, leather boots, and a purple turtleneck sweater. He swallowed hard, gripping the lillies tightly with his fingers.

"Joey?"

"...I...ummm...bought these for you...they matched your thighs---er, I mean, eyes..."

Mai let out a soft chuckle, staring at the violet lillies. "Thank you...they're beautiful..."

"Just like youuuuu"--He looked away from her, now glancing at the facade of her apratment--"...uuuu're windows..."

Mai cocked an eyebrow. "Windows?" She looked up at the window.

"Yeah...they're beautiful...I mean...wow...look at that rectangular shape..."

"Uhhhhh," she looked back down at the lillies, "I'm going to put these inside really quick." Turning around, she walked into her apartment complex, leaving Joey to kick himself.

"What were you thinking, Joey? You sounded like a hentai when you said,_ 'they matched your thighs'_...the least you could have done was said _pies _or something." He sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Okay," Mai called out, locking her front door, "are you ready to go?"

Joey only nodded, afraid that he might say something that would land him a sexual harrassment conviction. As he walked toward the car, he felt a finger tap him on the shoulder. He turned around slighty, not looking into Mai's eyes.

"Joey, listen," she turned him around to face her, "just be yourself, okay? You don't need to impress me, I like you for who you are...well, for the most part anyway," she said, letting out a laugh.

Joey beamed, relief embedded in his facial expression. "In that case, I might have to write you a ticket..."

"What...? Why?"

"It's got to be illegal to look that good."

Mai cocked an eyebrow, "Joseph, why are you saying dumb pick-up lines when we're already going out?"

"Uhh...well...ummm...so! Let's get going!" Joey said, now pulling on the car handle to open the door.

Mai just shook her head, now stepping into the car with Joey. Now inside, Joey was the first one to speak: "So, do you have anywhere special that you want to go to?" His eyes glanced up at Mai, but immediately went back down to turn the car on.

"Well...I actually had my eye on this new French restaurant in town. It's not too far from here, do you want to check it out?"

"Hey, as long as I can read the menu, I'm fine with it."

Mai nodded, then said: "Alright then, let's check the place out."

* * *

"Well...doesn't this place look...err...French-y..." Joey commented, pulling his jacket off and hanging it on the chair. He then took a look at his surroundings; it basically looked like any other restaurant, except for the fact that the waiters wore berets and had weird mustaches situated above their upper lip. "Man...I have got to get me one of those hats..."

Mai rolled her eyes, ignoring his statement. "So, any idea what you want to eat?" She lifted the menu forward so she could see the selections better. Joey did the same, only he was staring more at Mai than the menu. "Joey?" She asked, looking up to see him looking at her.

"Err..." He lifted the menu to his eyes, quickly looking for something to eat. "I don't know...it's hard to choose..." He lied, for he had not set his sights on the menu yet.

"Yeah," Mai agreed, "hmm...how about we start off with an appetizer? The cheese and tomatoes look good..."

Joey's ears perked up. "Did you say cheese?"

Mai closed her menu and nodded, "yeah...why? Do you not like cheese?"

"Well," Joey scratched his throat, "I...err...cheese and I don't really get along..."

"Why?"

Before Joey could reply, a shadow casted upon their table...

"_Bonjour! Je m'appelle Gaston!" _(Hello, my name is Gaston) A brown-haired water, about twenty, said. His sentence was then followed by a bright smile, mostly directed toward Mai than Joey.

Joey cleared his throat loudly to get Gaston's attention, "excuse me?...what was that about apples?"

"Ha Ha...I said that my name is Gaston," He said boredly toward Joey, then turned his attention back to Mai. "What would you like to start with, _Mademoiselle_?" (Miss)

"We would like to start with the cheese and tomatoes, but we haven't decided on what we want for lunch." Mai said, smiling up at the French waiter.

He smiled back, "take your time; I'll come back with your appetizer."

"Thanks." Mai said, looking back at the menu.

"What was _with_ that guy?" Joey asked, folding his arms. "He was eyeing you as if you were a croissant or something..."

"Joseph!" Mai whispered, "he was just being...friendly, besides he has a very nice accent."

Fuming, Joey grabbed a piece of bread that was sitting between them and shoved it into his mouth. "Nice accent, eh...Well...I can speak French pretty well, too...watch this: _French _toast,_ French _fries."

Mai rolled her eyes, then looked somewhere else for entertainment. This date was turning out to be just like she thought; she knew Joey was too immature for her. Why was Tea trying so hard to get Joey and her together? _'We're just too different...' _She was about to bring her eyes back to her table when she spotted a hint of orange in her vision. _'What?' _She looked back.

"Serenity?"

Joey looked up. "Serenity? Where?" He looked into the direction Mai was looking, then almost dropped the bread from his hand. It was in fact Serenity, but she wasn't alone. Kaiba was close by her side_--too close_. "I don't believe it..." Rising out of his seat, he was about to walk over when he felt a warm hand over his.

"Leave her alone, Joseph. They're just eating together."

Sighing, Joey sat back down. "I know, but I don't like it...he's like 4 years older than her! He's probably just thinking about jumping her bones..."

"What's wrong with that? Look at me," Mai spit out, now almost choking on what she said. _'No, no...I didn't mean THAT...I just meant that we had a huge age difference like them...oh dear...' _

"Wow...umm...I didn't know you were that kind of girl--"

"No, no!...I..." She threw a hand over her face. "I meant that I'm at least 4 years older than you, too, so you shouldn't be judging Kaiba based on how old he is. I really don't think there's anything wrong with it."

"Oh man...you got me all excited, too..."

* * *

"_Bon appetit, _here is yours...and yours..." Gaston said, putting down their meals. "Enjoy your meals!"

Mai nodded, then stuck her fork in what looked like chicken. "Wow, this looks good. What did you order again?" She looked up at Joey, but he was picking at his food like a four-year-old. "Joseph?"

"Oh sorry, umm...what did you say?"

Mai frowned inwardly. "Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing, I mean, it's just...I guess...umm...I wanted to make this date better for you. I'm sorry," he looked back down at his plate, not wanting to see her reaction. To Joey's surprise, Mai just laughed...

"Joey, we've only been here for forty minutes...what did you expect?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Joey took a bite out of his pasta. "Yeah, you're right.."

"I know I'm right," Mai said, picking up a piece of her food, "here, try some...it's chicken." She put it on his dish, where he stuck it with his fork and put it in his mouth. "How do you like it?"

"Pretty good, what does it have in it?"

"Chicken, wine, cheese and herbs...want another bite?"

Joey's mouth dropped. "Did you say cheese?" When he saw Mai's head tilt up and down, he put his hands to his stomach. "Oh, no..." He could already feel his stomach bubbling.

"What's wrong? Are you allergic?"

Joey started getting up. "I'm...umm...about to have a party in my pants..."

"What?"

"No time," he said, "I have to go...I'm sorry..."

"Joey?"

It was then he felt something he didn't want to. "Oh, no! It's coming..." He quickly put his hands to his butt and started walking away from his table. He then felt another sharp bubble erupt in his stomach...followed by a warm feeling between...

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! BATHROOOM!" He yelled, now running full speed to the bathroom.

There was a moment of silence, followed by tiny sounds made by utensils and glasses. Most eyes were on the bathroom, while some were on Mai. Turning away from the public's eye, she tried to busy herself with her napkin. She didn't know whether to be ashamed or embarrassed...

"Mai?" A soft voice asked, breaking Mai out of her daze. It was Serenity. "Was that Joey?"

Mai slowly nodded. "I don't know what came over him...he's so inconsiderate..."

"Well, what happened?" Serenity asked, sitting in Joey's seat. "That's not like Joey...usually."

Sighing, Mai combed a hand through her hair. "We were just talking...and then I gave him a piece of my chicken and then he just got all weird on me. It was so ridiculous. That's it...I'm getting out of here." Mai reached in her pocket book and threw some money down, while reaching over her chair to get her coat.

Serenity's eyebrows narrowed. "Oh, Mai, wait...this is what Kaiba had...it has cheese in it!"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Mai asked, angrily.

"Joey's lactose intolerant...his stomach can't take any dairy product. He didn't tell you? He actually just started having this problem a couple of years ago. I'm surprised he would order something with cheese in it...he's usually more careful about those things..."

Mai dropped her coat back down. "Oh...no...it's my fault..." She covered her face with her hands. "He actually was about to tell me when Gaston came and took our orders. I'm so stupid..."

Serenity put a hand over Mai's. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure Joey will understand...look, here he comes right now." Getting up, Serenity winked at Mai and went back to her table. Mai, on the other hand, was afraid to turn around. She felt horrible.

The restaurant got quiet again, but resumed once Joey sat back in his seat. "I'm sorry, Mai, I--"

"No, Joey," Mai shook her head, "I'm sorry, I heard about what you have...are you okay?"

"Yeah," Joey smiled, "but I'm not sure that bathroom is, ha ha..."

Mai grabbed her coat again. "Come on, let's get out of here...I'll treat you this time."

"You sure? You seemed like you really liked this place. We can stay if you really want to, I can live with the stares." Joey said, bringing a glass of water to his lips.

"No," Mai said, "it's too fake for me..."

"My thoughts exactly." Joey laughed, then snapped his fingers at the waiter. "Yo, Gaston! Croissant boy! We need the bill." Mai let out a laugh as Gaston walked over and gave Joey the bill. He then gave one last look at both of them and left.

Putting the total down, he signaled Mai to the door and they walked out of the restaurant, ignoring the stares of the couples watching them. When they walked out, Mai just stopped at the corner and took a deep breath. "You're doing okay?"

She turned to Joey with a smile, "yes...I really am..."

"Me too, that restaurant was giving me goosebumps. It was worse than...than...seeing Bakura's ass in tight leather pants."

Mai turned to look at him. "You actually...stare?"

"Well..."

"I don't want to know," Mai said, walking a little ahead of him.

"Come on, Mai, there just so firm yet squishy at the same time--"

"Joseph! This is not a Bakura's ass convention..."

"Aww..."

Walking down the block to Joey's car, thoughts were flying through Mai's head like crazy. _'You know, it hasn't been such a bad night so far...and you even laughed at a few of Joey's jokes. I think you like him.'_

"Oh, shut up," Mai said to her conscious, unaware that she had said it out loud.

"Yes, ma'am."

Mai turned around and looked at Joey, "oh...that wasn't meant for you...I was just..." Her words slurred toward the end of her sentence, for she was trying to think of something to say. She didn't want to say that she was talking to herself. "...hey, is that Rex Raptor?"

Joey turned around. "Where?" He then looked back at Mai, "I don't see him.."

"Oh, that was just...a fire hydrant, nevermind." She then turned around and sped-walk to the parking lot. _'Great, first you talk to yourself and then you mistake Rex Raptor for a fire hydrant.' _

"Mai? Wait...why are you in such a rush?" Catching up to her, he gently pulled on her arm to turn her around. She looked at him, then looked at the sidewalk. "Are you okay?"

She sighed. "Joey...I don't think I can go with you to prom anymore."

"What?" Joey asked, surprised. "What's wrong? Did I do something?"

Mai shook her head. "It's not you, it's me. Joseph, I just can't go with you." Squeezing her coat tightly to her body, she turned away from him. "I'm sorry, I really am."

There was a silence between them, both in deep thought. It was then Joey said: "Mai...can you look at me?" She turned to face him, but didn't catch his eyes. That was enough for him to continue, "is this because you don't wanna get close to me?

She bit her lip and slowly nodded.

"You know," Joey forced a chuckle, "we can just go as friends. I have no problem with that, just...please go. I'd really like you to be there. It would realllllllllly make my prom night." He stuck out his bottom lip, turning his smile into a pout.

Exhaling deeply, Mai just folded her arms and stared at him.

"Pleeeeeeeeeease?"

Mai turned the other cheek, still in deep thought. "Joey..."

"Come on, Mai, don't make me hug you."

Her head snapped back. "You wouldn't..."

"Come here..."

"No..."

Grinning maliciously, he threw his arms around her. "Let papa give ya some suga, Mai." Then, pulling her toward him, he held a firm grip around her waist so she couldn't escape. "Now, say you want to go with me."

"No! Stop!" She said, trying to pull away.

"Say it!"

She put her hands on his and tried to pry them away from her waist."Joey! Let go!"

"Uh-uh!"

"LET GO!"

Joey shook his head. "Tell me that you want to go to prom WITH me."

Pulling harder, she knew his grip was too strong. "Alright, alright!"

"Say it," he said, loosening his grip, "and I'll let you go."

Mai groaned, then mumbled: "I'll...go...to...prom...with you."

"Wow...that was easy...I wonder what else I could make you say..."

"JOEY!"

"Ha ha, just kidding." He pulled away from her and smiled. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Mai smoothed her skirt and shirt out. "Yeah, right."

"Mhm, you secretly loved it."

She glared daggers at him, though she felt differently on the inside. She actually...liked it. "I did not--not in the least bit. You're crazy." She folded her arms, still fixing herself.

"Oh, really, do I need to hug you again?" He said, about to put her arms on her again.

"Don't you dare!"

Putting his hands on her shoulders, he accidently pulled her to his face instead of to his chest...

Their lips were centimeters apart, both moistened and ready to fasten against something that could love them. That would want them. Their lips wanted each other, but they're owners were too stubborn to make the first move. Instead, they both stared at one another, wondering what the other would do.

Joey made the first move. He titled his head and moved it closer to her lips...

Closer...

_Closer..._

_CLOSER!  
_

_**COME ON, DO IT ALREADY!...WOOO! GO POLARSHIPPING! **_

But before they could lock lips, the slamming of a car door caught their attention. It was a police car. "And what do you think y'all are doing, eh? Can't you see we're trying to keep our streets clean!" A short, chubby police man said, his hands on his sides.

Joey pulled away from Mai. "Err...what do you mean, officer?"

"Look down, son," the police man said, calmly.

Joey turned his attention to the sidewalk, where newspapers and wrappers lay under their feet. He stepped away from the litter, and put his hands up defensively. "This wasn't us, officer."

"Oh yeah? Trying to outsmart a cop, eh? You know there's a big fine for littering, right?"

"Yes, but we didn't--"

"Sir, calm down. We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way."

"Officer, I swear to you that I do not know where this litter came from! We are not criminals! Listen, my name is Joey Wheeler and--"

The officer cocked an eyebrow. "_Wheeler_? Well, I'll be! You're always causing trouble on these streets!"

Mai looked over at Joey, "what is he talking about?" Joey shrugged his shoulders.

"I remember my fellow officer caught you on two counts of drinking while intoxicated and starting a fight in a bar. Now, you're trying to litter on Domino's streets? I'm going to have to take you to the station."

"No, no! That's my dad! We just share the same name--"

"Son, walk over to my vehicle so I can cuff you." Joey started walking over slowly, his face pale with fright. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to be speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense..."

"This is ridiculous! Listen, you idiot! He should not be handcuffed just because of littering!"

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down, or you will have to join Mr. Wheeler."

Mai shook her head. "No, I will not!"

"Mai, just do what he says!" Joey yelled, but Mai ignored him.

"No, I will not stand here and let my rights be taken away from me! You hear me? I'm going to call my lawyer--"

"PUT YOUR HANDS UP!" The officer yelled, taking out his gun.

"I'm just getting my phone..."

"Put your hands up now where I can see them!" The officer then motioned her to the car, "you think you can pull a fast one on me by trying to get a weapon, huh?"

"What!"

"Stand next to Mr. Wheeler, you're both under arrest!"

Standing next to her friend, Joey turned to her and said: "Nice way to end our date, huh?"

* * *

"...and that's basically what happened," Joey said, scratching a metal bar with his finger.

Tristan looked at them, wide-eyed. "So, let me get this straight...you two got locked up for_...littering_?"

"Basically," Joey said, nodding, "but they do have us down for 'failure to cooperate' and...uhh...oh, 'use of potential weapon." Mai cussed under her breath at that remark.

"A cell phone is not a potential weapon," she added.

"Well," Joey said, "you can throw it at someone..."

Mai rolled her eyes. "If I had mine, I'd throw it at you."

"Oh really? Well--"

It was then they heard the brass door open. In came the police officer. "Alright you three, your fifteen minutes are up." He then signaled Tristan to follow him out to the station.

Tristan looked back at them, "I'll talk with them up front and get you guys out."

"Thanks man, we owe you one."

Tristan smirked. "Just try not to litter while you're down here."

"Why you little..." "

Letting out a chuckle, Tristan gave him a thumbs-up and walked off with the officer.

* * *

"WHAT A NIGHT!" Joey yelled, as he landed face-down on Tristan's couch.

After Tristan left with the officer, he bailed them out and got the charges dismissed against them. Joey still didn't know how he did it, but he definitely wasn't complaining. He just wanted the night to end.

"Hey man, you can crash here 'til tomorrow morning if you want."

Joey looked at his watch. It was twelve thirty in the morning. "Tristan, it is tomorrow! Crap, I have to be at work in six hours!"

"Well, you better get your ass to sleep then."

Joey shook his head. "I'm wide awake from everything that happened today...what a mess."

"Mai seemed pissed after we dropped her off."

"I know," Joey sighed, "I really tried my best to make it good, too."

"Don't worry about it, things just happen...I'm sure she'll forget about it sooner or later. Then again, girls do hold on to grudges for a long time." Tristan then walked into the kitchen, stretching his arms out in a yawn.

Joey followed him, curious to what he was doing. "Watcha doing?"

"I dunno...I'm kind of hungry, maybe I'll have a bowl of cereal." He pulled the cabinet door open and grabbed a cereal bowl. Then, "alright, now here's the real decision: _Count Domino Chocolately Chocolate Rocks_ or _Pop Dem Fruity Pops_?" He stared at the two cereal boxes for a moment. "Man, umm...alright...uhh..."

"Whoa...you got _Pop Dem Fruity Pops_! SWEET!" Joey exclaimed like a little kid. Then, grabbing Tristan's bowl, he poured himself some cereal. "Hey, you got some milk?"

"Get your own, criminal."

"Ha ha...very funny."

Tristan smirked, grabbing another cereal bowl from the cabinet. He then poured some cereal into his bowl and got some milk from the fridge. Once he got his midnight snack together, he sat down across from Joey. Joey looked up and laughed, "the fact that I went to jail for littering is going to be an everlasting joke for you, isn't it?"

"Just like the Bakura's ass joke."

"Speaking of which, have you ever really looked at Bakura's ass? It's not that big..."

Joey nodded. "It's actually pretty flat; I don't know what Jellybob sees in it."

"I know," Tristan laughed, "but she seems pretty fascinated by it. Oh, speaking of Jellybob, can you believe she left us hanging on that fic 'Just A Night' for five months? I like...checked on the fanfiction site everyday for an update. She'll be hearing from me."

"Yeah, me too, she better get with the program or we're going to get Bakura's ass on her."

Tristan nodded. "Yeah, or we can just send the Yami/Tea fans after her."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

To be continued...

Next time: Yami and Yugi sort things out; Yami/Tea action; more Bakura's ass jokes

BTW, if anyone has any ideas for the next chapter, please add them in your review. It would be greatly appreciated and might even make the next update quicker. Thanks much! Again, sorry for the delay, please forgive me.


	13. The Song Remains the Same

Disclaimer: Yeah, what's the point of this again?

A/N: At first, I turned my back on this story. I thought, why continue it? It's been a year, who really cares if I finish it or not? But then, then...I started to get a lot of pms and reviews for more. They wanted another chapter. And with this knowledge, motivation instilled. So, here I am, with the next chapter. I'm sure a lot of you don't even remember what happened, heck, I had to read my OWN story over to write this chapter. Now that's sad. So, take it, leave it, or just look at Bakura's ass.

Title: _Just A Night_

Chapter 13: _The Song Remains the Same_

**Thursday, May 19th, 2005**

_Beep. Beep. Beep. _

Yami's eyes blinked once, then twice. _'What's that noise?' _He thought, eyes trying to analyze his surroundings. Letting out a tired groan, he tried to move his head up to find the continuous noise, but a pain immediately shot through his stomach. "Ow..."

"Thank goodness," a soothing voice whispered, "you're awake."

Again, he tried to lift his head up. Again, a pain seeered through his stomach. Where was he? What was that noise? Who was with him? He didn't understand. He closed his eyes, trying to think back and find an answer.

"Here, let me lift up the bed so you can see," the voice said again.

Along with the horrendous _beeping_ noise came a _vrooom _noise. Yami opened his eyes again, this time able to see his body, covered in a white sheet. The room was white, too. He turned his head to meet a color that washed away the whiteness. Blue. "Tea..."

He was weak. Not only his voice showed it, but his skin was pale and his eyes had lost their entrancing glow. She missed getting caught under his hynoptic stare already. This made Tea frown, but she didn't show it. She should be happy he even knew who she was. She widened her lips into a smile.

"Hey, you sound like you can have a rematch with Dartz right now," she chuckled, sitting on the foot of the bed. She reached her hand out to his and grasped it, "how do you feel?"

"Tea..." He repeated, trying to control the raspiness of sleep from his voice, "where am I?"

"Well, you're...in the hospital. Do you remember what happened on Sunday?" She took his empty stare as an answer. Sighing, she looked down at his sheets and, "Yami, you got beaten up by some street thugs who wanted your wallet. Yugi took you to my house so we could take care of your wounds, but during the course of the night...Yugi came by to check up on you and...you were barely breathing. He tried to wake you up, but you didn't wake up."

She stopped abruptly, taking in a deep breath. Sunday's events were hard for her to hear again, even though she had delivered the story countless times to doctors, Joey, Tristan, and Mai. She looked into Yami's eyes now, which were searching for answers.

"Yugi woke me up and we rushed you to the hospital. The doctors told us you were in a coma due to a severe injury to your head, most likely when you were in that fight. We were so scared...but the doctors said that you would regain consciousness in a few days. You just needed to heal..."

Yami looked at her, blanky. At first, he was confused. The words hit him, but he had no recollection of what she was saying. It was then, however, an image of Masa and _"Saru..._" entered his thoughts.

"Who's Saru?"

That's right, Tea didn't know that Masa and his friend had beaten him up. He told her they were street thugs to protect her. He remembered everything now. Going back to Tea's house. Talking to Yugi. "Yugi, where is he?"

"School. They won't let him see you because you're in a critical care unit and only adults nineteen and older, or family members, can visit this wing of the hospital." She laughed, "they think he's like twelve when he's eighteen."

Finally, a smile cascaded over his lips. This made Tea smile. He was about to ask about Yugi when he realized something. "You're eighteen, too."

"Well..." She scratched her head, nervously. "I kinda had to lie and..."

The door cracked open and a man dressed in white walked in, "Mrs. Moto, can you sign some paper--why, nice to see you awake, Yami." He walked over and checked his pulse, as well as his monitors. "You had your wife scared," he said with a chuckle. Then adding, "How are you feeling?"

Yami stared at a red Tea, trying not to blush himself. "Tired," he answered, truthfully.

"You shouldn't be! I wish I could get five days of sleep!"

Yami's brows furrowed, more confused than surprised. "Five days?"

Tea had not mentioned this during her recapitulation. It seemed like it had only happened yesterday. Though everything made sense, it didn't. Yami tried to close his eyes to somehow gather his thoughts, but his effort seemed useless.

Coma. Yugi. Masa. Fatigue. Bakura's ass. And...Tea.

He glanced over at Tea, who was looking at the doctor. His insides smiled at her flushed complexion. _Wife. _He couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. _'She could have just said sister...wife? Unless...?' _He shook out of his daze, _'Why am I thinking of this now? Of all times...I just got out of coma, and I'm already jumping Tea's bones with my eyes.' _

Pervert.

_'I really, really need to stop hanging out with Joey. But still...' _Trying to look at the doctor, he couldn't help but stare at Tea through the corner of his eye. _'She seems so worried about me. I wish I could...kiss her worries away. Kiss her.' _She did look beautiful just sitting there. Although her eyes showed she lacked sleep, they didn't lose their ocean view. Her hair was loose, rubbing against her peach-colored skin. And her lips... _'Calm down, killer. Act like a freaking person in coma.' _He looked back at the doctor, who smiled and said,

"Everything seems to be normal, and it's a miracle you're awake and able to talk. Most of my patients don't wake up for another two days, and have no recollection of previous events," he wrote something down on his charts, and continued, "in a few hours, I'm going to move you to a patient room. That way all your friends and family can see you. I'm also going to call my nurse and have her give you some pain medication, and help you walk around so you can get your legs moving again."

Without another word, he walked out the door, beeper in hand. Yami's eyes followed him out the door, then turned to Tea, who was avoiding eye contact and scratching her head nervously. He had to smile. "Wow, I go to sleep for five days, and this is what happens. Are there any kids I should know about?"

If Tea could blush any harder, she would be a tomato. "Yami-"

"I'm just kidding," he said. "And just so you know, I don't mind either."

Tea turned her head to meet his eyes. Color was rushing through them, that violet color she loved so much. While he was unconscious, all she would do was touch his hands and his face, thinking what would it would be like if she never told him how she felt. It scared her. But now, he was awake. She had a second chance to let her feelings be heard.

**A second chance to be rejected. **

But, the later didn't cross her mind. Not when he said that he didn't mind her being his wife. It was hope, even motivation. The perfect time to tell him was now. Or...was it? _'He is already acting like Joey again, so why not?' _

Yami sensed worry in her expression. Was it something he said? Maybe his comment threw her off. Like, she didn't want to be with him _like that_. _'I told you you're a freaking pervert,' _he thought, now mentally reminding himself to not hang out with Joey.Feeling bad for saying it, he started to apologize when she also opened her mouth to speak. He closed his immediately.

"I was so scared I would never have a chance to tell you this, but now I do. I know this is weird to say this in a hospital...but..." Lacing his hand with hers, she smiled. This felt right, even if he didn't feel the same way. "...ever since you rescued me at Burger World...I knew that...you would...always be there for me. That I could always come to you with anything. Yami_...I_. I don't know. What I'm trying to say is, well, actually I really don't know how to say this.." She fumbled, looking to the ceiling for help. She had to just come out with it. "Yami, I l_ooooo-_"

"Okay, time for your medication!" A nurse cheered, shaking a medication cup back and forth. "This is my favorite time of the day!"

Tea tried not to fall out the chair. It was only two more words. The two most important words. _Wait. _She was going to tell Yami that she loved him.

She was going to tell Yami that she loved him.

_She was going to tell Yami that she loved him. _

_**She was going to tell Yami that she loved him. **_

She slipped her hand out of his, then planted her feet on the floor to stand up. "I guess we can continue this later," she said, smiling at the nurse. She touched Yami on the shoulder as a gesture of goodbye, but she had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy.

"Wait, Tea, what about...what you were saying?"

She was right.

She glanced at the nurse, then back at Yami. "I was just...caught up in the moment, you know, a little too overwhelmed with the fact you were awake." She faked wiping a tear from her eye. Then, "I'm just really glad you're back. I'm going to tell the others, and we'll all drop by after school, okay?"

Though not satisfied with her response, he nodded. "Thank you, Tea."

Closing the door, she walked down the empty hall, eyes glued to the floor. _'This feels like a soap opera. Like, when the main character is about to profess his undying love to his crush, but then all of a sudden, someone walks in to ruin the moment and you're all like _**damn**_because you wanted to see what happened.' _

_Well..._**damn. **

**

* * *

**

"So, we be in the elevator with 'tis hott nurse, and I'm all like_ 'I'm sorry, were you talking to me?' _and she was like,_ 'no,' _and I'm like _'well then, do you want to?'_..."

It was a classic scene, Tea thought, watching Tristan and Joey crack jokes at Yami's bedside. She smiled, as she saw Yami's smile broaden with each attempt at humor. _'Just like old times,' _she reminisced, a picture of all four at the Game Shop popped into her head. Although at the time it was Yugi, she always knew Yami was there watching them.

"Man, if that nurse could walk through walls!" Tristan added, as all three started laughing until there were tears in their eyes. "Ha ha...I never seen anyone run so fast when those doors opened!"

Tea rolled her eyes. _Men. _"You guys have nothing better to do, do you?"

"Aw, come on, Tea!" He rose from his seat and patted her on the back. "You shouldn't be jealous. You know you still have Masa to keep you warm!"

Tea crossed her arms, "compared to you two, I'd rather be around him!"

"Riiiight. You can go on ahead, ya know he's probably waiting outside your door right now for you to yank his crank...ha...if you know what I-"

"JOEY!" She shouted, hands now clapsed around his throat.

Suddenly, the door was opened by a nurse carrying a tray of food. She stopped in the doorway, looking at the scene in front of her. A brown-haired girl was strangling a blonde, who was screeching, "Oh Masa! Give it to me, Masa!" while another boy was on the floor, slamming his fist to the floor in fits of laughter. The only one acting normal was her patient, Yami, who was silently watching the scene.

"Umm...is this your family?"

Everyone froze.

"Actually, my friends," answered Yami, as she placed the tray in front of him. She just nodded as she poured a glass of water for him to take his second dose of medication.

While her back was turned, Tea brought her hands back to her sides, giving Joey a death glare. Meanwhile, Joey was combing a hand through his hair and sticking his tongue out to tease her. Tristan pushed himself off the floor and bounced on Yami's bed, which caused his meds to fly on to the floor.

As the nurse reached down to gather his three pills, Joey also reached down to help her, which caused their eyes to meet. It was then her eyes filled with fear, while his eyes burst with excitement.

"Aren't you the nurse from the elevator?"

She tried not to answer, but managed to bend her head to signal a "yes"

"Wow, so shall we talk or continue flirting at a distance?"

Without a second glance, she ran out out the door. "Wait!" Joey yelled, running after her, "you make me melt like hot fudge on a sundae! Come back!"

Tristan glanced over at Tea and Yami. "Maybe I should go after him...for her sake, that is." With Yami's nod, Tristan was out the door, his hasty footsteps reverberating down the hall.

"She was a good nurse, too," Yami added, pushing his tray of food away. "You think you can sneak me in some Burger King tomorrow?"

Tea laughed, closing the door to close off the commotion down the hall. "I just won't tell Joey. He'll call me a traitor!" A picture of Joey in his McDonalds uniform brought a smile to Tea's lips.

"Ha ha...yeah..."

A silence ensued.

"So...how's school been?"

Tea was so happy he had said something, the silence had made her very uncomfortable. "School's been a mess. The seniors are going on a rampage because prom is next week and there's still so much to do. I can't blame them, I still haven't gotten my dress!" She massaged her forehead, trying to alleviate the headache of prom from her thoughts.

"I'm sure you'll get everything done by then," Yami soothed, "you still have a week."

For once, Yami was wrong. The decorations were not done for the yacht, the food was not ordered yet, and she still had to ask what songs the seniors wanted at prom. She didn't understand why everything was on her plate. She wasn't only the vice president of the class. Where was Miho? She could kill her right about now...

"Hey, Tea?"

Yami's Yaminess brought her back to reality. "What's up?" Her eyes met his, and she wondered, just for that second, if she would have been staring into those eyes as they danced under "Tokyo's Skyline" for prom in her beautiful, black dress and his sexy tuxedo...with his lips ready to touch hers with the taste of "I love yous" washed away as their mouths covered each others and--that is, if she would have TOLD him she LOVED him. _'Yeah, and what happens when he says NO? Did you think about that Gardner?' _

"Can you help me up?"

She quirked an eyebrow, dancing out of her revelry. "Help you..."

"You know, out of the bed. I want to try to walk around." He pulled the sheets off of him and tried to turn his legs out of the bed so he could touch the ground.

"Hold on," she helped him bring his feet to the floor, "oh Yami, you're going to get me put in jail...with Joey. You know you're not supposed to be on your feet."

He stifled a laugh as a sharp pain gathered around his knees. He held on to Tea's arm tightly as he tried to move his left foot forward. He couldn't move it, though, his feet were asleep from their lack of use.

"Yami, listen, maybe you should give it another day before you walk..."

He knew she was right, but, "Tea, I can't sit in that bed another second. It's torture sitting around for hours on end, watching Oprah and wondering what bra size would fit me best!"

She laughed, hard. "Ya...mi...you...know there's a remote...ha ha...!"

His ears seemed to perk up. "There's a remote?"

Reaching over the bed, she pulled out a white, rectangular piece of plastic. "What did you think this thing was the whole time?"

He blushed. "Well...anyway...I still would like to try to get up. Please, Tea, can we try?"

With the giggles out of her system, she nodded her head.

He pushed himself off the bed, again trying to move his foot forward. Bending his knee, with a lot of pain, he planted his right foot forward. A tingling sensation ran around his foot. Although it tickled, it also hurt at the same time.

"You want to try another step?"

He nodded.

Bending his left knee, he pushed his leg forward. This time, however, he stumbled once his left foot met the floor. "It's okay, I got you," Tea encouraged, as he tried to steady himself on the floor. "How are you doing?"

"This is...definitely a work-out," he joked, although he was in pain from the stomach down. He had to hide it; if Tea knew, she would put him right back in bed.

"Great," although he was doing alright, Tea still kept a firm grip on his left arm for support. "Now I want a hundred more!" A muffled laugh slipped through his lips, which made Tea smile.

He was such a strong person. _'Physically, too,' _she mentally added, as her soft hands cupped his firm bicep. _'Tea, you are the worst. You really need to stop hanging around Joey..' _

"I'm going to try to walk to the door."

Shaken once again out of her daze, her eyes followed his to the door. Kinda far. "Yami, maybe we'll just go halfway-" Too late. He already had moved a step, and was about to make another. "Hey, don't go too fast..."

She was right. Again, he had stumbled on impact. This time, she stood in front of him and tried to steady him. He faltered forward, hands thrusted upon her shoulders, while his face inches apart from hers. "I told you..." She whispered, jokingly.

He smiled, although it was not from her joke. Her warm breath tingled his nose as she spoke. It invigorated him. She smelled of a cherry blossom, the kind you pluck off a tree and smell until there's nothing more to breathe in. Her eyes were as beautiful as ever this close up, and her lips were pursed just the right way for a kiss.

Ra, she loved his smile. He could do a modeling commercial with that smile. And his eyes...so mysterious, yet a soothing violet that could take you away to paradise. Without thinking, she cupped her hands around his face to caress his soft cheeks. He was handsome, inside and out. She could just imagine touching his face in the morning, as they woke up in each other's arms. A kiss to begin the day, an "I love you" to finish the night. Magical. Nothing would be better--if she TOLD him how she FELT.

This jolted her to her senses, returning her hands back to her sides. "Sorry.."

"Do you want to say something," he asked, ignoring her apology.

"What do you mean?"

"Your eyes," he whispered, "seem unsettled."

"Oh, no," she slightly pulled away from him, although her body fought with her actions, "there's just so much going on in my head. Sometimes, it's just too much."

Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her.

"Yami..." She whispered, as nestled her face into his shoulder.

He pulled her tighter against him, memorizing every curve of her body against his. She had a slender frame, but toned from hours of ballet. He could make out all the muscles in her back as he rubbed his hands soothingly down her spine. How he wished his lips were where his hands were.

"Am I interrupting?"

Yami lifted his head up to meet his reflection. "Umm...no, you weren't."

Yugi looked away, as the couple slowly broke apart.

"Thank you," Tea whispered, as she helped him back to his bed. He only leaned on it, but didn't sit down. "I better see you back in that bed when I get back," she threatened, trying to lighten the mood, "I'm just going to see if Joey and Tristan are alright."

He nodded.

"See you later, Yugi," she winked, as she closed the door behind her.

Yami had his eyes on the door, that is, until Yugi waved his arms around to get his attention. "Oh sorry, I was just-"

"What? Examining Tea's backside?"

Yami crossed his arms. "Exactly."

"Well," Yugi rolled his eyes, "I'm glad you're feeling better at least."

"Thank you," said the older, planting a genuine smile.

Yugi took a seat next to his bed and looked around the room. "How have you been holding up?" Before letting Yami answer, he added, "when you're not holding Tea, that is."

Yami didn't retort nor blush. It was just like old times, except the tables were turned. When he was in Yugi's body, he remembered poking fun at Yugi and Tea all the time. He knew Yugi just saw her as a best friend, but the jokes were good.

"We were really good friends back then, weren't we?"

The air stiffened.

"Things change," he said, finding Yami's eyes, "people change."

He shook off Yugi's sudden coldness. He was waiting for the time bomb to explode, and it finally did. He knew Yugi was just trying to be nice to him because he was in this condition, but hurt or not, he wanted no room for facade. He wanted the truth; what the hell went wrong between the two of them?

"Maybe you should really think about who has changed. I left the Game Shop because I didn't want to take your life. I wanted to do things on my own, so you wouldn't have to again."

Yugi silently spoke. "Yami, you put me through so much..."

"What have I put you through?"

"The Game Shop! What did you think? Grandpa was just so angry that I couldn't hold the business together...and it's all your fault!"

Yami, now starting to get angry, let out a big, sarcastic laugh. "My fault?! Yugi, you've dealt with me for four years, and now that I was free...I wanted to do something for you!"

"By leaving?!"

Yami opened his mouth to speak to retort, but he found something of more interest to ask, "wait...why is it my fault that you couldn't hold the business? Wouldn't that be your fault?"

Yugi's cheeks turned a bright pink, from embarrassment or anger, Yami couldn't tell. "You left the Game Shop for Kaiba Corps. You turned your back on us for a better company! You wanted to be more than what the Game Shop could offer!"

"You didn't answer the question!"

Yugi paused, looking away from him. Then, "I couldn't hold the business because...you're the only reason why I was good at dueling. You're the reason why I became a champion. Without you, I had no reason to run a card store if I couldn't even play the game right like--"

"Yugi, I only gave you courage. You were always a great dueler."

"Yami," tears started to well in Yugi's eyes, "I'm nothing compared to you."

Yami slammed his foot down and stood up, even in all the pain he was in. "What the hell happened to you? You're the one that always gave ME courage! That gave me inspiration! You're the one that beat me at something I thought I was best at!"

Yugi looked up at Yami, slightly taken back. "Yami-"

"No, you need to get it through your head that you're the one that gave up. It wasn't my fault; maybe if you took a good look at yourself, you would realize that I'm not that one at fault here!" He turned away from Yugi, fuming at the seams.

There was a silence. Then,

"I'm sorry."

Yami slightly turned his head to catch a glimpse of his creator. Yugi's head was lowered to the ground, his hands at his sides, lifeless. He couldn't help but feel...bad. Almost sorry for what he had said, too. "Yugi...listen..."

"No, you're right. It is my fault, and I shouldn't have blamed you." Yugi said softly, his head still facing the ground. He seemed to be in a deep shame.

Yami limped forward, smiling. "Yugi, you're forgiven. I understand why you felt that way...and I want you to know that I will do everything I can to help you and your grandpa get the Game Shop back."

Yugi's head shot up quickly. "You don't have to--"

"I want to," he put his hand on his heart, "you're like a brother to me."

With tears in his eyes, Yugi stood up and hugged Yami. "You are my brother, Yami."

* * *

"You should be happy she only called security," the brown-haired girl said, wagging her finger in front of their faces. 

"Aww come on, Tea, it was all in good fun. I think she enjoyed it!"

Tea threw her arms into the air. "You chased her into the street! She almost got hit by a car!"

"_Almost_," Tristan added, being helpful.

She glared at the blonde's accomplice. "Both of you should really seek some counseling."

Turning away from them, she glanced up at the six-story hospital. After leaving Yami's room, she had found her two friends outside, practically giving the nurse a heart attack. Luckily, she stopped them, but she was sure the nurse didn't feel so lucky. Poor woman.

"Come on, already! Let's go back and see Yami!"

Tea glanced at her watch. She wanted to give Yami and Yugi a good half hour to talk things through. It was best for the both of them. "Why don't we browse through the gift shop first?"

"Tea...that's boring!"

She cocked an eyebrow up, "and chasing a nurse down a hospital hallway is what you would call fun?"

"...yes?"

Again, she threw her hands up to the sky. "Why me? Why not Weevil or Bones?"

"Nah, no ass quality there. Now Bakura on the other hand-"

"I know," Tea responded quietly, "Bakura has a very nice ass. Can we please move on?"

Tristan gasped. "Are you disloyal to his butt's greatness?"

She started walking away from them. There was no point in arguing with two idiots, you'll always lose. She could hear them shuffling behind her. "Are you guy's done yet?"

"Yeah, we're done," Joey said, causing her to turn her head, "I guess we're trying to lighten the mood...when I heard about Yami, it really scared me. He's just one of my best friends." He sniffed back a couple of tears.

There was something wrong with this picture, Tea felt it. Joey was up to something. "Yami's going to be fine. So, there's no need to worry anymore."

"You're right, Tea, I'm sorry.."

_Maybe he wasn't trying to be funny for once._ "Hey," she brought him into a hug, "Yami had everyone scared. But you know what? He brought everyone together as a family. Now it's time to be happy, okay?"

Joey nodded, then winked at Tristan as he hugged Tea tighter. "Yeah, and now we can get to the _butt_ of the matter."

"JOEY!"

She pushed him away, biting her lip to hold back the words that wanted to come out. Instead, however, she took a deep breath and...

It was an eruption of laughter. Now, from all three of them.

Tea couldn't help herself. She knew she couldn't win, and there was no point in staying mad at them. Like she could anyway; staying mad at them was like staying mad at a puppy-you just couldn't. Though they each had their differences, she knew these were her friends for life.

"I have to admit," she wiped back her tears, "you got me pretty good."

Joey, who was still laughing, managed to give a thumbs-up and "it's my job" through his fits of laughter with Tristan.With pats on the back and nudges, the laughter continued, with Tea looking on shaking her head playfully.

It was too bad Tea and Tristan would never know that most of what he said was true.

Yami's condition scared him, and if he ever lost Yami, he didn't know what he would do. His friends _were_ his family. Besides Serenity, he had no one to count on blood-related. But now, he had more than enough family, which also included the nuts.

"Well, I'd love to watch you guys, but I think it's time to get back to Yami's room."

Finishing off his chuckles, Joey nodded. "Yeah, we definitely got to tell Yami about this one. He's going to break out of his stitches when we tell him!"

Tristan clapped his hands together. "Yeah, and you can become his nurse now that he doesn't have one. I just need to figure out where we're going to find you an uniform."

With this remark, Joey slapped his friend on the back of the head. "There ain't no way I'm-"

"That does sound like a good idea," Tea added.

"Noooo!"

Joey started running toward the hospital, Tea and Tristan close behind.

"Now I know what the nurse went through!" The blonde panted, as he raced through the sliding doors of the hospital, and two security guards.

"_Hey!_ There he is!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!"

He ducked into the elevator before the guards could catch up with him. Meanwhile, Tea and Tristan slowed down once they were in the hospital. "Well," Tristan put his hands on his knees, breathing hard, "he's a dead man. Dibs on his Red Eyes."

"What a great friend you are..."

"Fine. Want his car?"

"Deal."

Tristan grinned. "See. Joey would be proud."

Before they walked toward the elevator, though, Tea pulled Tristan back. "Actually, I have one more stop to make before we go see Yami."

* * *

"So, what's been going on between you and Tea?" 

Yami blushed, taking a card from his hand and placing it face-down on the bed. With less water under their bridge, Yugi decided to challenge Yami to a game of Duel Monsters to pass the time. He was winning.

"We're friends," he simply put, eyes on the game.

Yugi picked up a card from his deck. "You're about to lose the game."

"Patience, Yugi, I have a card that will-"

"With Tea, Yami," Yugi continued, "I know you're scared, but you know what? Take a chance. Love is like Duel Monsters. It's a game of chance, skill, and faith." He flipped his trap card. "Your move."

He grunted, removing his _Feral Imp _from play. "Since when are you Dr. Love?"

"Between you, Joey, and Tristan-I'm an expert."

Using his _Summoned Skull _to attack Yugi's face-down defense, Yami cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Are you sure things aren't heating up between you and Rebecca?"

Yami sure had caught Yugi off his game. "W-What?"

"Mhm, you know what I'm talking about. Does she let you hold Teddy, too?"

With a nonchalant attitude, Yugi brushed off Yami's banter and finished the game with his _Brain Control _spell card that took control of Yami's _Summoned Skull _and attacked his remaining life points directly. "Does that answer your question?"

"Good game," Yami answered, "best out of three?"

Yugi collected all his cards. "Why not? You won't have the same chance with Tea."

"I get it, Yugi, I really do," he said, re-shuffling his deck. Then, "I love her. I mean, I am _really_ in love with her. But, I'd rather rely on my fantasies then have them crushed when she rejects my feelings." His bright, violet eyes turned somber. Yugi noticed this immediately.

"Yami, if you love her like you say you do...I know you'll make the right choice. But, I'd rather have you tell her than drool over her everytime she walks through the door."

"I merely salivate," Yami corrected, eyeing his softer version as he collected five cards.

"You really need to stop hanging around-"

In the second, the door jammed open, "GUYS! HELP!"

"Joey?!"

Joey slammed the door behind him, looking from Yugi to Yami. "I kind of got myself into a little bit of trouble, and I really need your help! Please, help me!" He got on his knees, hands laced above his head to gather sympathy from the twins.

"What kind of trouble did you get yourself-"

_"Where is he? Wait, I think he went this way!" _All heard from outside.

"JOEY! That's the police!" Yugi whispered, frantically.

Joey got up, pacing around nervously. His eyes came upon Tea's handbag. "I got an idea! It's time for a..." He lifted up Tea's handbag in triumph. "...make-over party!"

* * *

_"Hey, Jerry, let's check in this room!" _Night stick in hand, Santiago knocked on room 112 before turning the doorknob to enter. His friend, Jerry, was right behind him. 

Upon entering, they found three people in a game of Duel Monsters. Two were sitting in the chair, while one, most likely the patient, was laying down on the bed.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we're going door to door, asking people if they have any information about a blonde-haired teenager, about six foot and lean, who's going around the hospital harrassing female employees."

The two sitting in the chair turned and looked at him. They were twins, almost. One seemed to be a few years younger than the other one, with softer features and a tiny frame. His twin, however, was built, tanned, and had the features of a stereotypical criminal.

His eyes then landed on the woman in bed. She had dirty blonde hair, that was partially wrapped in a towel. Her eyelids were covered heavily in a pink eyeshadow, whereas her cheeks went for a scarlet red. His eyes went down to her lips, which were poorly done with what looked like lip gloss, but seemed to smear from his nose to his chin. She was beautiful.

"Oh dear, that's a shame!"

She had a coarse, feminine voice. Her accent was from the Western states. He liked it. A lot. "Yeah, but don't you worry, ma'am. We'll make sure we catch him."

"You will! You're a strong, handsome policeman!"

Joey tried not to choke; he tried to keep the scene as normal as possible. The less suspicious they all seemed, the more likely he would find himself sleeping in his own bed, and not in a jail cell.

"Alright Santi," his friend called, about to slip out the door, "the place is clean."

"I'll be right there," he answered, as he heard the door shut behind him. Then, "now, little lady. You stay out of trouble. You look like you've been arrested before."

"Tee hee, why do you say that?"

"Because it's illegal to look that good," he winked, walking out the door.

Joey's jaw dropped. It was like every muscle in his mouth had gone numb. Yuck. He now felt dirty. He grabbed the towel from his head and wiped all the make-up off his face. "I feel so violated right now..."

Yami and Yugi were laughing so hard, that the cards that were in their hands went flying. "A violation, huh? Maybe I can him back in here to write you a ticket!"

Yugi followed up on Yami's joke, "yeah, 'cause you have_ fine _written all over you!"

"HAHAHA!"

Although Yami was still in pain, he couldn't help himself. It wasn't everyday one could turn the tables on Joey and play his game. Right now, this very second, everything felt perfect.

"Hey guys!" Tea chirped, with Tristan right behind her.

He was wrong. Now, it _was_ perfect.

Joey turned to Yugi and Yami, who had their lips pursed to muffle their laughter. "Not a word," he whispered, giving them the death glare. Then, turning back to Tea and Tristan, he said,

"Hmph, big help you guys were back there."

Tristan cocked an eyebrow. "Dude, what's up your butt?" He glanced further, at Yami and Yugi now. "...and why are you guys smiling like that?"

"Umm..."

Yugi finished Yami's "sentence" with, "Joey was just telling us about what happened..."

Tea rolled her eyes. "What a story...he almost got himself arrested..."

The twins started giggling, and one whispered, "_for looking that good," _but Joey turned around and growled at them. They made the motion of zipping their lips.

"Anyway," Tea started, turning around to pull something in the room, "we got you a little something, Yami." Yami's ears perked up at the sound of his name from Tea's sweet lips.

She pulled in a metal contraption, which looked like a walking aid the eldery use to get around. He was right. It was a walker. "Now, before you say anything, or laugh"-she looked over at Joey-"I thought this would be good to help you around, so you could do something with your time. I know you're going to be in here for another day or two, so might as well, right?" Her eyes caught Yami's, but their moment was interrupted with,

"What gramma did you steal that from?"

Tristan smacked him over the head. "Tea's right, so shut your mouth before I shut it for you!" He clenched his fist right in front of Joey's mouth, making him back off, but not stop.

"Thank you."

Yami stood up, which signaled Tea to bring it over to him. He pressed his two hands against the handles and started walking with it. Although he knew Yugi and Joey were laughing their asses off at him, he actually felt in less pain. A good thing, no matter how embarrassing.

"Hey Yami, I heard their holding the senior walker races downstairs!"

Again, Tristan smacked Joey over the head. Yami wasn't fazed by Joey's criticism, though. He knew just how to get to Joey. "Keep it up and I'll tell Santiago that you need a prom date. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to write you tickets_ all night long_."

Joey closed his mouth, trying hard not to blush. Tea and Tristan were confused by Yami's statement, and looked around the room for answers. Everyone seemed to be in their own world.

"Umm...well, it's getting late and I know visiting hours end soon, so I'm probably going to get going," Tea said, breaking the unforgiving silence.

Yami smiled. "Thanks for stopping by, Tea."

She gave him a quick, inconspicuous hug. She didn't want to be answering to Joey later for her actions. "Feel better," she whispered in his ear, "I'll see you tomorrow." As she turned to say goodbye to everyone else, she noticed something quite odd.

"Hey guys...where's my purse?"

* * *

To be continued... 

All couples in next chapter. Hope you all enjoyed. And no, "OMG! FINALLY!" or anything of that nature. It's disrespectful, and definitely won't motivate me to continue this story. I know there's three more chapters, so go summer '07! Hahahahaa...


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